Latest news with #fareDodging
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Moment staff on London's 'lawless' Tube appear to ignore two fare dodgers who shamelessly push their way through barriers next to where they are standing
This is the moment three Tube workers failed to react as two fare dodgers pushed their way through the barriers on a deserted concourse without paying - right in front of them. The shocking incident is believed to have taken place at the brand new Elizabeth Line station in Woolwich, south-east London last week. Footage shows the two young men brazenly pushing through the barriers designed for the disabled, families and people with luggage. The friends nonchalantly walked past members of station staff, who either failed to notice or more likely failed to act. The incident was captured by commuter Matt Stevens, who has started filming and shaming the fare dodgers, as well as the Transport for London staff who appear to do nothing. He said sarcastically: 'Staff on circa 40k a year standing and watching people barge through barriers with no tickets. Money well spent'. Weeks earlier, at the same station, he filmed 'dozens' of people doing the same. He said: 'Dozens of people breaking through the barriers and your 'enforcement officers' are stood twiddling their thumbs. What an insult to the taxpayers who pay their wages'. On another occasion he photographed a young man pushing through the barriers at Canary Wharf Station. He said in a tweet to TfL: 'He then proceeded to threaten me after I reminded him to buy a ticket. Your staff sat and watched'. MailOnline has asked Transport for London to comment. Hello again @TfL. Staff on circa 40k a year standing and watching people barge through barriers with no tickets. 👏👏 Money well spent. — Matt Stevens (@MattStevns) August 7, 2025 The fare dodgers push through the barriers while members of staff appeared to do nothing The friends nonchalantly walked past members of station staff, who either failed to notice or more likely failed to act Earlier this year the Mail revealed how TikTok influencers are brazenly showing London Underground passengers how to illegally travel for free by 'bumping' through the station ticket barriers. Young men are filming themselves laughing and joking with each other as they push through the wide-aisle gates in videos liked by hundreds of thousands of viewers. The gates, which were first installed in 2008 at a cost of £12million, are normally used by wheelchair users, older people, parents with children and travellers with luggage. But they are increasingly being used by fare dodgers who either push through the gap in the middle, or quickly follow someone in front of them who touches out. It comes amid a fare dodging epidemic on UK trains, with an official report published this week revealing staff believe the practice is becoming 'normalised' and they are struggling to cope with 'aggressive' passengers who refuse to buy tickets. Videos show young men at stations across the Tube network walking through barriers without being stopped by staff - and even explaining to others how to do it. In one clip posted by rapper Stepz, real name Samuel Agyei, he claims that Transport for London (TfL) have 'upgraded the barriers' but still pushes his way through. References to 'free TfL' and 'free travel' can be heard, as he tells the camera: 'I don't know why they made it look like it's hard to bump through when it's that easy.' In one clip posted by rapper Stepz, real name Samuel Agyei, he claims that Transport for London (TfL) have 'upgraded the barriers' but still pushes his way through at one station Another video by Tenton, who has 70,000 followers, sees the TikToker push through the barriers and ask: 'Mandem, at what age are we gonna stop bumping train?' The clip by Stepz, who has 3.5million TikTok followers, was called 'Still Easy' and has racked up 388,000 likes and nearly 1,000 comments since being posted in 2022. Another video by Tenton, who has 70,000 followers, sees the TikToker push through the barriers and ask: 'Mandem, at what age are we gonna stop bumping train?' He says: 'It's getting silly guys because I'm almost finished uni and I'm still bumping train.' As a staff member walks past, he tells them: 'Sorry, you didn't hear that.' Tenton continues: 'Realistically at what age are we gonna stop? When we got grey hairs we're not gonna be bumping train. Do you get it guys? I think the threshold is 25.' A third video by user CFCRocky7 features a man showing women how to push through the barrier at Stratford, with the caption: 'Saving NPCs [non-player characters] from extortionate train fares @Transport for London.' In another video posted by Parafactual, a series of commuters are shown at East Ham walking through the barriers without paying, following customers who do touch out. Similar videos have also appeared on other social media sites such as Instagram. A video by user CFCRocky7 features a man showing women how to push through the barrier at Stratford, with the caption: 'Saving NPCs [non-player characters] from extortionate train fares' In another video posted by Parafactual, a series of commuters are shown at East Ham station walking through the barriers without paying, following customers who do touch out One posted by Gavin Chee, which has racked up 80,000 views, is called: 'Different types of people bumping TfL. Can't lie know bare talkers.' This shows a series of different attempts to get through the barriers at a Bakerloo line station by the same man in a comedic style, categorised as 'The Scum Bag'; 'The Runner'; 'The Talker'; 'The Savage' and 'The Kwalis'. Fare dodgers are estimated to cost TfL around £130million a year in lost revenue. Wide-aisle gates are the main access point for chronic fare evaders, and TfL has trialled changes to how they work at some stations to see if they can reduce pushers. Siwan Hayward, TfL's director of security, policing and enforcement, said: 'The overwhelming majority of our customers pay the correct fare, however there is a minority who do attempt to travel without a valid ticket which is a criminal offence. 'Fare evasion is unacceptable. That is why we are strengthening our capability to deter and detect fare evaders, including expanding our team of professional investigators to target the most prolific fare evaders across the network. 'This builds on the work of our team of more than 500 uniformed officers already deployed across the network to deal with fare evasion and other anti-social behaviour, keeping staff and customers safe.' Robert Jenrick confronts people pushing through the barriers at Stratford station in London An estimated 3.4 per cent of passengers did not pay fares between April and December 2024 – and they face a fine of £100 if caught, although this is halved if paid within a fortnight Ms Hayward added: 'Fare evasion is not a victimless crime. It robs Londoners of vital investment in a safe, frequent and reliable transport network and we are committed to reducing the current rate of fare evasion to 1.5 per cent by 2030.' And a British Transport Police spokesman said: 'Ticket fraud is not a victimless crime - the cost is passed down to the honest fare-paying members of the travelling public. 'We are committed to working closely alongside the railway industry to tackle fare evasion and regularly support them with high visibility patrols at known hotspot locations.' TikTok said it has removed videos which violate its community guidelines around criminal behaviour, and has also blocked associated hashtags and search terms related to this. The social media firm's guidelines state that it does not allow content which promotes or provides instructions on how to commit criminal activities that may harm people or property. Between October and December last year, TikTok claims to have proactively removed 97.1 per cent of content which violated its violence and criminal behaviour policies before it was reported to the firm. The Channel 5 programme 'Fare Evaders: At War With The Law' shows a passenger pushing the gates at Kingston station in London without touching out before attacking police officers Meanwhile a report by the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) released on Wednesday found travellers are using 'a range of techniques to persistently' underpay or avoid paying and see it as a 'victimless crime'. Staff enduring abusive behaviour when asking fare-dodgers to present their tickets are warning that evasion is becoming 'increasingly more challenging to tackle'. The report had been commissioned to look at concerns some passengers were being unfairly prosecuted by train operators over genuine mistakes when buying tickets. But it found fare evasion is a mounting problem now costing taxpayers £400million a year which is resulting in higher fares and less investment cash to improve services. The Mail highlighted some of the worst cases of evasion in exclusive clips from the Channel 5 series Fare Dodgers: At War With The Law, airing on Monday nights at 9pm. And shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick tweeted a video last week in which he confronted people pushing through the barriers at Stratford station in London. It comes after separate video showed furious passengers taking the law into their own hands when a Tube passenger dropped his trousers in a packed carriage. British Transport Police (BTP) believe the naked man, who has since been detained under the mental health act, was assaulted on the District line in east London. Up to four men stepped in when he repeatedly refused to pull up his pants at 3.30pm last Thursday. He was pinned to the floor and carried off the train before being arrested by an off duty police officer. But detectives are probing whether the vigilantes committed any criminal offences in the confrontation after he refused to pull up his pants. BTP has appealed for witnesses to the incident but there have been no arrests over the brawl. 'The man had been assaulted by a number of other passengers and was initially arrested by an off duty officer, before being detained under the mental health act and taken to hospital,' the BTP statement said. 'An investigation into the incident is ongoing.' It comes after separate video showed furious passengers taking the law into their own hands when a Tube passenger dropped his trousers in a packed carriage A group carried him off the train and pinned him down on the platform, waiting for help to arrive The Daily Mail revealed how he began yelling after the eastbound train travelled between Upton Park and East Ham. He then dropped his trousers and put his belt around his neck. His bottom and genitals were on show, sparking anger and revulsion around him on the train, which was busy with children who are on their summer holidays. A passenger stood up and quickly confronted him, gesticulating angrily. He politely and firmly told him: 'You need to get off the train.' But the man began repeatedly yelling back: 'F*** off.' The commuter said in response: 'What do you mean "f*** off"? You need to get off the f***ing train. Now. There are kids on here.' Footage of the incident showed up to four men kicking and punching the naked man, who was hitting them with his belt. The video then cut to him being pinned to the floor of the carriage. The man was then unceremoniously carried on to the Tube platform at East Ham and dumped to the floor. He was then pinned down as the commuters tried to alert staff. It appears an off duty police officer was on the train and performed an arrest and he was taken to hospital. It is yet another horrifying incident on the Tube, which is run by Sir Sadiq Khan's Transport for London (TfL). Since he became Mayor in 2016, Tube crime rates have more than doubled, and today he has been accused of ignoring a manifesto pledge to maintain a 24-hour police front counter in every borough in the capital. Just last month a brawl broke out on the steps of a packed station - with a screaming toddler ending up on the floor in the chaos.
The Sun
05-07-2025
- The Sun
Urgent hunt for fare dodgers who beat up off-duty policewoman & threw drink over her head as CCTV released
POLICE launch manhunt for yobs that battered an off duty female cop at a tube station after she confronted them for dodging fares. The British Transport Police released CCTV images of a group of people who they believe may have information about the assault. 4 4 On June 12 an off duty officer confronted a mob of individuals after seeing them attempt to barge through barriers at a tube station without paying. A harrowing assault followed with the mob punching and kicking the female copper. Detectives have since launched an investigation into the violent assault at Wood Green Underground Station. CCTV footage of four men and two women has been released with cops looking to trace them. Detectives believe the people pictured could have information that can help their investigation. In April Transport for London announced new measures to clamp down on fare dodgers. The British Transport Police said: "At around 4.20pm on Thursday 12 June the victim, an off duty police officer, challenged a group of people who attempted to barge through the barrier without tickets. "She was then set upon by the group who punched and kicked her and threw a drink over her head. "Officers would like to speak to the people pictured as they believe they could have information which could help their investigation." 4 4
BBC News
05-07-2025
- BBC News
Policewoman attacked tackling Wood Green Tube 'fare dodgers'
An off-duty policewoman was punched and kicked after she tried to tackle suspected fare dodgers at a north London London Underground Transport Police (BTP) said the officer also had a drink thrown over her when she challenged a group who "attempted to barge through the barrier without tickets", at Wood Green Tube station on 12 June at around 16:20 force has released images of four women and two men, and said detectives "would like to speak to the people pictured as they believe they could have information which could help their investigation".Earlier this year, Transport for London (TfL) launched its latest effort to reduce fare evasion across the network by employing a team of investigators to target frequent offenders.
The Independent
24-06-2025
- The Independent
I've found Robert Jenrick's next crusade… helping Joan Collins clear away discarded Lime bikes
Hey, Robert Jenrick! After your Superman act as you tried to prevent London's Tube travellers from dodging fares, your super-powers are needed again! And this time, you've got a super-sexy sidekick! The shadow justice secretary has become something of a suburban superhero since he was filmed chasing fare-dodgers on the Underground, he could be the man to help Dame Joan Collins in her campaign against other transport terrors. This week, the ninetysomething Dynasty actress posted a photo of herself on Instagram, surrounded by a mass of Lime bikes in Kensington. She captioned the image of her obstructed path: '#shocked about the #loutish behavior [sic] of @lime #bicycle users #pavementsareforpedestrians #limebike.' And she has a point (liberal use of hashtags aside). These bikes have become a menace – or rather, their riders have. Being able to hire an e-bike to get around our cities is a brilliant innovation, but the way they are dumped on the streets makes them a total hazard. Because these cycles don't have to be parked in a dock, they can be left anywhere; Lime recommends parking spots and reminds users: 'Your vehicle must be upright and with the kickstand down, not blocking pedestrian pathways, building entrances or driveways'. Chance would be a fine thing! So many bike parking spaces, designated or not, are so jammed with vehicles that it becomes difficult for pedestrians to pass – and the ones that are strewn across the pavements are an even worse hazard. I live in a London suburb, and almost every day there's a rental e-bike parked in the middle of a pavement, particularly near the bus station, where there are usually two or three of them lying on the floor, causing a massive issue for anyone with a disability and a huge inconvenience for those who don't. If you try to pick them up and move them, they're really heavy – and I should know, because that's what I do if I see one that's a hazard. Many of these cycles have also been hacked, using a trick that involves breaking the lock (which I won't detail here). When the bike is then ridden, it makes a horrible click-clack noise, and because the bike is now broken, it's just casually discarded. Lime says they are working on a solution to this, but they clearly have a bit of work to do on this given how commonplace the sound is in central London. Last year, Brent Council threatened to ban Lime bikes from their streets due to so many being badly parked; the parties came to an agreement after Lime conceded to remove them within two hours of being reported. But you can trip up over a lot of pavement bikes in two hours. In new research last year, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) reported that 70 per cent of blind or partially sighted people surveyed noticed an increase in pavement obstructions due to e-scooters, and almost half of them said that dockless bikes and e-scooters stop them from getting out and about. Earlier this week, I was visiting Guy's Hospital in London, and a Lime bike had been left on the pavement between the main building and the cancer centre. Thoughtfully, the rider had parked it on its kickstand, but that oh-so-considerate touch wouldn't make much difference to anyone trying to negotiate it in a wheelchair, or who was wobbly on their feet. That moment really summed up for me how thoughtless and selfish so many of the cyclists who use Lime bikes and any other e-bikes in London are. So come on, Mr Jenrick. I fancy seeing you and Dame Joan riding a paid-for pair of Lime bikes, chasing down the selfish idiots who are making life difficult for so many people. This is a job for Jenrickman!
Telegraph
23-06-2025
- Telegraph
I stood up to a fare-dodger on the Tube while TfL just shrugs
At 8.30pm on an evening last week, I walked into St James's Park underground station. A group of four or five young people were loitering. As I touched my card on the reader to open the barriers, one of the group tried to push past me. I am the size of an average 11-year-old girl, standing 5ft tall on a good day. I may talk tough on The Telegraph, but I know better than to engage in confrontations which have the potential to escalate. Yet in that fleeting moment, I surprised myself by making a stand. Perhaps Robert Jenrick's crusade on fare dodging had emboldened me, or I had finally had enough of witnessing malefactors pushing past paying customers on the Tube multiple times a week. I put my hand up and said, 'No thank you. You can use your own ticket.' The barrier closed behind me and I headed towards my platform, watched on by Transport for London (TfL) staff. The next afternoon, at Victoria station, I watched a man following a fare-paying passenger through the gates, cool as a cucumber. It was in broad daylight, and the station was teeming with TfL staff, all simply hanging around. Why wouldn't you do anything about it, I asked a staff member. It isn't our job, came the answer. 'What is your job?' I probed. The response seemed so absurd that I made a note of it: 'Our job is to assist paying customers, we can't assist customers who don't pay.' If you can make any sense of this statement, please let me know. It is understandable that the staff themselves may feel intimidated by these brazen offenders or even fear for their own safety. But their total indifference towards these offences being committed day in and day out on their watch betrays a contempt for those of us who do pay for the service. TfL's apparent corporate policy, which is reflected in the culture of its staff on the ground, has allowed fare dodging to reach such a stage of late that we appeared to have accepted the offence as a part of London life, until Jenrick decided to confront some of the offenders himself. For a week or two following Jenrick's video becoming viral on social media, there did appear to be an increased police presence in some stations, while TfL claimed to 'take fare evasion extremely seriously'. But as the news cycle moved on, so – it seems – did the authorities' interest in the matter. The vast majority of TfL's income (around 60pc) is generated by fares, followed by government grants and tax intake. Commercial activities, including advertising, make up the rest. Even this revenue stream is dependent on the fares and public funding keeping the train and underground networks commercially viable. According to TfL, fare evasion costs an estimated £130m each year, with passengers abiding by the law having to shoulder any rises in fares needed to plug the shortfalls. For those of us who pay for our tickets, Tube and rail fares in London rose by an average of 4.6pc in 2025. This follows what was reported as the biggest rise in transport cost in a decade when fares increased by an average of 5.9pc just two years ago. An increase in fare dodging therefore has a very real impact on the pockets of the law-abiding commuters who cough up the correct fare for their journey.
