Latest news with #FreedomPass
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE War on Tube fare dodgers: The scam used by travellers to avoid paying for tickets as TfL launch crackdown on fraud that costs them millions each year
Transport bosses are cracking down a scam that sees Tube passengers avoid paying for journeys by using a genuine concession card registered to someone else. Passengers are using passes which give free off-peak travel to the cardholder, such as the Freedom Pass for the over-60s, but cannot be used by anyone else. In a new Channel 5 documentary, one fare dodger is finally caught after he avoided paying for more than 200 journeys using a card registered to a female relative. A team of Transport for London investigators called Tracey, Sarah and Dan tell the passenger that 'the game's up' after apprehending him at Preston Road station. They had been investigating the man's misuse of a high-value travel pass which gives free off-peak travel to the cardholder but cannot be used by anyone else. Video footage from the upcoming documentary 'Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law', which airs at 9pm tonight, shows the man initially denying he has the pass on him. But the team provide a CCTV still of him walking through a station, adding that they have 'done an investigation on you' and 'know you're committing offences'. The investigators used a sophisticated detection system called the Irregular Travel Analysis Platform (Itap), which processes ticketing and passenger data. They traced the number of the card to its registered owner and tracked the journeys from the card, building up a clear picture of the movements of the man. Intelligence was also provided by revenue protection teams at ticket barriers – and they then identified and tracked him down at the station he regularly leaves from. The man was questioned in a clip taken from the documentary which showed the moment he was spotted on the platform and then followed up the station's stairs. One investigator is heard saying: 'Alright there, TfL revenue control, can I see your pass?' He showed one pass but then the team demanded to see another in a yellow wallet which they saw he had put in his pocket – although he denied it was there. The man, who said he had travelled from Moorgate, told the investigators: 'Which pass? I don't have any pass? Only my card.' An investigator then told him: 'Come on, stop messing around, we've had this already.' The man says: 'I'm not messing.' Another added: 'We know you have it because when you came up, I stopped you and I approached you, and you had a yellow wallet on it.' The third investigator then says: 'OK, game's up, show the pass, we know who it belongs to. We've done an investigation on you, we know you've got the pass on you.' Pointing to a photo of a woman, he adds: 'The lady that owns the pass, OK, is that lady there. Who is it?' When the man replies 'I don't know who is it' [sic], the investigator continues: 'It don't need to be a big massive thing, but you do need to deal with it. 'We can deal with you without even you showing the pass if you want, because we know you're committing offences on Transport for London services. 'So you either comply with us and you take part in this investigation and the interview, yeah? Or we just go ahead, we call up the police, British Transport Police, they come down here and they nick you for fraud. 'Which way do you want it to be? So you deal with me, because I work for Transport for London, or you deal with the police. Which way do you want it?' Producers said the man's case was passed on to prosecutors to claw back more than £1,000 in unpaid fares. Fraudulent use of such concession cards account for millions of pounds' worth of losses on London's Underground and bus network each year. This is one of hundreds of active serious fraud cases currently being investigated by TfL. Last year it spent £22million tackling fare evasion which costs the network £130million a year. Last month TfL launched a new drive to reduce fare evasion by employing a team of investigators to target frequent offenders. About 3.4 per cent of passengers did not pay fares between April and December 2024. TfL wants fare evasion to fall to 1.5 per cent by 2030. Fare evaders are normally fined £100 which is halved if paid within two weeks. The first series of 'Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law' aired in 2019, and the second season which has ten episodes will begin on Channel 5 tonight. Also in the first episode, South Western Railway (SWR) staff crack down on barrier jumpers and ticketless travel at London Waterloo, while other revenue protection officers deal with fare dodgers on board a train in Hounslow. It comes as SWR revealed today that its revenue protection teams helped recover £3.4million in the last financial year. The operator added that of the 153.2million journeys that take place on SWR's network annually, around seven million are made without a valid ticket. These unpaid fares are said to cost SWR nearly £40million a year.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
All the LTN fines issued in Greenwich - totalling over £820,000
More than £828,000 was made in Greenwich East and West LTN fines between January and February this year – which the council has said will go back into public transport. In November 2024, the Royal Borough of Greenwich introduced The West and East Greenwich Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) scheme. The News Shopper submitted an FOI to Greenwich Council asking for the 'total revenue generated from LTN fines in West and East Greenwich since they were introduced.' Figures revealed that a total of £828,235 was generated between January 2 and February 28 of this year. The scheme was set to run for 18 months on a trial basis whereby 12 roads in East and West Greenwich would have reduced traffic during peak hours (7–10am and 3–7pm on weekdays), by implementing camera-enforced restrictions on several roads in both areas. The scheme has been rolled out in accordance with the council's objectives to improve air quality, enhance road safety and promote more active modes of transport. Drivers who drive without an N1 permit on restricted roads now face being hit with a £130 fine (reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days). The information request also revealed that the council issued a total of 15,773 fines, with Maze Hill and Tom Smith Close having the highest amount of PCNs issued at 8,991. See the full list here: Maze Hill / Tom Smith CIose = 8,991 Crooms Hill / Nevada Street = 5,401 Westcombe Hill / Station Crescent = 2,462 Royal Hill / Royal PIace = 1,920 Royal Hill / Prior Street = 1,124 Winforton Street / Point Hill = 991 In a statement, a spokesperson for Greenwich Council told the News Shopper that these funds would be spent on the local transport system. This would include investment in the active travel plan, adding further cycle lanes, and contributing to the Freedom Pass scheme for older and disabled residents in the borough. Councillor Averil Lekau, Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Sustainability and Transport, said: "By encouraging new ways of travelling we can combat climate change, clogged streets and clogged lungs. "Traffic is a huge issue in these parts of the borough, despite the fact that many residents don't own a car, so our part time weekday restrictions are being trialled to make it cleaner and greener to move around. "Income generated by the traffic management trial in East and West Greenwich is being put back local into the transport system which benefits everybody. "This includes investment in the active travel plan to encourage more people to walk and cycle, improvements to the public realm including more cycle lanes and to help contribute to the vital Freedom Pass scheme, which allows disabled and older people travel around the borough for free.' The LTN trial is set to run for up to 18 months, during which the council will collect feedback and traffic data to assess its effectiveness.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Do I need photo ID to vote in 2025 local elections?
There is not long to go until local elections take place on May 1, but before going down to the poll station it is important to check that you have met a number of key requirements. Importantly, all voters need to ensure that they have registered to vote before heading down to their nearest poll station. You can no longer register to vote for the local elections taking place May 1, but you can still register for future elections. An extra requirement has also been introduced in recent years which requires voters to bring a valid form of original photographic identification with them to the polling station. Voters can use ID which has expired, although they must be recognisable to the photo on their documentation. A wide range of photo ID's are accepted for the local elections, including international, local and independent travel documentation, as well as Proof of Identity cards and other government issued documents. Below are all the different forms of ID you can bring to the poll station to vote in the 2025 local elections. What forms of photo ID are accepted for the 2025 local elections? International travel Passport issued by the UK, any EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country Driving and Parking Photocard driving license issued by the UK or Northern Ireland (full or provisional) Driving licence issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands Blue Badge Local Travel Older person's bus pass Disabled person's bus pass Oyster 60+ card Freedom Pass Scottish National Entitlement Card (NEC) 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card Disabled Person's Welsh Concessionary Travel Card Northern Ireland concessionary travel pass Proof of Identity Card PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme) Other government issued documents Biometric residence permit (BRP) Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90) National identity card issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card Voter Authority Certificate Anonymous Elector's Document
Telegraph
10-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
I started my own dating club at 59 – here are my tips for finding love in midlife
My husband and I split in 2002. I'd just hit 40 with four young children, and I was the only unattached mum at the school gate with zero friends in the same boat. The sense of freedom soon wore off. I tried dating, running headlong into a 'rebound' relationship. But young children and dating are a tricky mix. Things came to a head when my daughter stowed herself in the back of the car as my 'date' and I went out to dinner. We arrived, her head popped up, and she shouted, 'You are NOT going to dinner without me!' She was right. Children first, relationships second. Mr Rebound had to go. Nevertheless, I enjoyed being single. With four children (now aged 32, 30, 26 and 24) and a thriving photographic career, I had nothing to prove. I didn't need anyone. Online dating was then embryonic. had begun in the mid-1990s; eHarmony in 2000. The first thing I noticed was how badly men take photographs. Even looking beyond this technical deficiency, I couldn't envisage a relationship with anyone I saw. Our lives seemed too different. Then the mid-2000s saw a rash of new dating sites. Plenty of Fish and OkCupid seemed anathema to me. Guardian Soulmates looked more urban, more me, so I ventured forth into the 'online' world. Blind alleys and being ghosted As it happened, my first go at online dating seeded the idea that would eventually lead to my setting up my own dating service. Sifting through Guardian Soulmates with a friend, I came across someone who looked fanciable. 'Don't touch him with a barge pole,' said my friend. 'Lethal!' She knew him from way back when. Scrolling down, my friend lit upon a familiar face. I was ahead of her. 'Definitely not to be recommended!' Which just goes to show it is impossible to tell from a 2D image and brief profile what someone is really like and whether they are who they say they are. We pondered a new site, one that wraps the old with the new, where everyone was vouched for. The idea bubbled away in my head. I managed a few long-term relationships, but I found online dating mentally challenging. Sifting through endless profiles, going down blind alleys and being ghosted, you can take only a certain amount before you feel considerably worse off than before. I managed to avoid disaster-dates but paid for them with tedium. Finally, I struck gold. Three months in, I asked him about Christmas. 'I've got to fess up,' he replied. 'I have a girlfriend. We met just before I met you. 'Women are like buses,' he blundered on. 'They all come at once.' I suggested he find another route to use his Freedom Pass on. Real-life situations When Covid hit, I decided to take fate into my own hands, and act on that gem of an idea I'd once had. The Otto Connection was born, named after my grandson. Instead of one-on-one encounters, Otto was about meeting real people in real-life situations. How else can you feel the chemistry? Eighteen guests showed up to Otto's debut in 2022, either friends or friends of friends. It grew, all by word of mouth. Now, potential members fill in an enquiry form and then have a Zoom call. One thing that fascinates me about the Zoom call is that I never have any idea what someone will be like at the end of the call based on what they are like at the beginning. That's one of the lessons I've learnt: never to judge on first impressions. I'm interested in people who have something to offer, who are curious, intelligent, fun and unattached. The only no-no is if a candidate is attached. The monthly subscription is £40. We have academics, bankers, creatives and more, from their 40s upwards. Within this eclectic bunch, some members are happy to stay single; others are looking for The One. We're now in the hundreds with a 50:50 male-female split, connecting the four corners of England. Next, we'll go abroad! There is no 'matching' element as such. It is more about putting people together in the same room and seeing what happens. We take part in various informal events which members themselves organise throughout the country, from film trips to lectures, art exhibitions to Perudo matches, quizzes to picnics. We put on foreign trips and throw big parties. The outcome is less important than the event: it's predominantly about bringing together groups of interesting and interested people who happen to be single. I found my present 'other half' through Otto. Obviously he is our biggest fan, since without it we wouldn't be together. Rather than banning myself from the events, I've made a rule that if a couple meet through Otto they are allowed to remain members, for a while! But the biggest surprise is it has turned out exactly how I wanted, giving single people a place of their own, a place couples want to join, but can't! People ask about 'success rates'. They mean 'people getting together', and yes, that's an obvious by-product, but the real success is the sheer joy and happiness of members. I get messages saying, 'This has changed my life.' That makes me feel good. But what I've learnt in the process has also made me a dating expert – and these are my tips! Dating in middle age: knowing the terrain Fancy is tempered by reason and experience; the biological clock falls silent. You have time, space and wisdom to make sensible decisions – only to find a whole new set of headaches to deal with. While youthful dating was an organic, choice-filled experience, you're now surrounded by smug marrieds who (if they invite you at all) place you at five, seven or nine round the dinner table. If you're thinking of exploring dating apps, do so in a spirit of adventure, not 'need'. Disastrous dates are a given. Question is: do you curl up in a ball, or cry with laughter? Aim for the second. Be honest about what you're looking for. If you want uncomplicated fun, say so in your profile. Be yourself on your dates. Pretence is exhausting, and you'll never feel truly 'seen' or loved. Life blossoms when we leave fear behind, so be brave. Don't let fear of rejection rule you. Bertrand Russell was right: 'Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness.' Biases lead to mistakes, but an open mind equals opportunity. Never give up hope; don't be prescriptive. Love rarely comes as you expect. Having said that, there are a few rules: avoid mimicking your previous relationship, for one. It failed for a reason. Dump your baggage from that relationship. No one cares about your ex. If you carry the weight of the past, you will fail. Shed all anger and bitterness. Undergo therapy if necessary, but leave that part of your life behind. There are some sex-specific rules, too. Women… Avoid 'mothering'. Men don't want it. Men… If you insist on seeking a much younger woman, fine, but be prepared to push prams and change nappies. For both, heed kindness. An overlooked quality in one's youth, kindness is an essential attribute in later life. Find someone you can laugh with. Looks fade, money comes and goes, but laughter will see you through. In the era of #MeToo, men are expected to be strong but vulnerable, driven but sensitive; they are expected to take the lead but not be controlling. Give them credit for trying. Finally, don't ghost people. It's cowardly and rude. A bit of positive feedback never goes amiss. Dating in your 40s Most divorces happen during this decade, but singledom doesn't necessarily bring independence. Romantic prospects are liable to be intercepted by child care and career. Coming second to your partner's children is normal, not rejection. Don't rush to introduce, still less amalgamate, your respective children. Your partner is dating you, not your children. You're looking for a partner, not a father/mother to your children. Let things unfold slowly. Never plan your entire future on your first date. Avoid rebound relationships. Take your time to find what you want rather than rushing into something you might regret. Don't settle out of fear of being alone. Dating in your 50s The empty nest looms. Instead of panicking that your busy life is about to become a barren wasteland, try to see this as a positive step. You'll have freedom and time to tick off life's to-do list. Your adolescent children may be opinionated. While they may assume expertise on the matter, your children probably have no more idea of what makes you happy in a relationship than you do about theirs. The present focus on the menopause overlooks the andropause. Communicate and be compassionate. Avoid comparison to younger men or women. You are wiser, more knowledgeable and should feel confident: these qualities have force and beauty. Be open to different ways of sharing. Communicate how you see your life panning out. Don't close your mind to how others see theirs. Dating in your 60s Everyone's wobbly bits go south. So what? Chemistry is ageless. Sex appeal is more about confidence and attitude than looks and latitude. Be prepared to deal with loss: empty nests, dying parents and retirement. Let it spur you to realise your dreams and more. Venture outside your comfort zone. Never give up on love. Don't believe me? Ask the Office for National Statistics: the marriage rate of people in their 60s has risen by at least 46 per cent since the mid-2000s. According to a study in Psychological Bulletin, this is the decade when you are statistically at your most confident and assured. Your experience is a superpower, not baggage. Don't bang on about health issues. Nothing is more boring. Keep feeling confident in yourself. You have more knowledge and accumulated wisdom than ever before – so long as you can remember it.
