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Telegraph
7 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Fare dodging has become ‘normalised', say rail staff
Fare dodging has become 'normalised' and is viewed as a 'victimless crime', rail staff have said. A report by the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) found rail staff were struggling to cope with growing levels of intentional fare-dodging. While the report was commissioned to examine concerns that some passengers had been unfairly pursued by train companies over genuine mistakes when buying tickets, it said: 'Rail staff we spoke to described how fare evasion is becoming normalised among certain passenger groups and increasingly more challenging to tackle.' The report added: 'As well as occasional opportunistic fare evaders, there are some individuals who use a range of techniques to persistently underpay and avoid their fares.' Staff reported being met with 'aggressive and abusive behaviour' when trying to check the tickets of fare dodgers. The report added: 'Some fare evaders consider that it is a victimless crime and are either not aware of or are undeterred by the consequences of being caught.' Fare dodging costs the industry hundreds of millions of pounds each year, which can lead to higher ticket prices. The findings come after Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, visited Stratford Station in east London to personally confront fare-dodgers last week. Writing in The Telegraph, the Conservative MP said: 'I watched as people flooded through an empty barrier, while the enforcement officer was on his backside, feet up, watching on. It was a perfect encapsulation of broken Britain. 'For ordinary hard-working citizens travelling into work on their morning commute, the sight of somebody slipping through the barriers without paying is a slap in the face.' Speaking last night, Mr Jenrick said: 'Fare dodging is out of control right now. It's not just a problem in London, it's happening right across the country. 'Unless the authorities crack down on lesser offences, lawbreaking will spiral further out of control.' While the ORR report detailed the industry's struggles to tackle deliberate fare evasion, the report was in fact commissioned to examine cases where train companies over-zealously prosecuted passengers who had accidentally bought the wrong ticket. The regulator called for more consistency in dealing with honest mistakes. Stephanie Tobyn, the ORR's director of strategy, said rules were 'weighted towards industry' when dealing with passengers who had made a genuine error. It said ticket-buying should be simpler and have clear routes and time restrictions, while companies should focus on intentional criminal evasion. Prosecutions should only proceed in the public interest and should be decided consistently across train companies, the report added. A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, said: 'We need to strike the right balance addressing genuine, honest mistakes made by customers and taking firm action against those who deliberately and persistently seek to exploit the system.' Lord Hendy, the rail minister, said: 'Deliberate fare-dodging costs the taxpayer up to £400m annually – money which could be better spent on improving passenger experience – and must be dealt with, but ham-fisted prosecutions that punish people who have made an innocent mistake is not the way to do this. 'We will look at this report in detail and set out what we'll be doing to address the issues raised in due course.'
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The Independent
14-05-2025
- The Independent
Commuters call for crackdown on headphone dodgers on trains – ‘people are too scared to speak up'
Independent readers have expressed growing frustration with the rise of 'headphone dodgers' disturbing fellow commuters. Many have backed calls for a ban on 'bare beating' – playing music or videos out loud on public transport – a topic that has resonated with our community. Most agreed that something needs to be done about people who blast music or TikTok videos on trains and buses without using headphones. While some said they feel too intimidated to speak up, others argued the public should be braver and simply ask offenders to turn the volume down, suggesting that most people are polite when approached. Several readers called for train companies to use posters and clearer announcements to tackle the issue, though others felt there were already too many loud and intrusive messages on public transport. Some said they've given up trying to fix the problem and now rely on noise-cancelling headphones to block it out. The idea of £1,000 fines for loud behaviour was welcomed, particularly by those craving a peaceful commute, but many questioned how such a rule could be enforced. Here's what you had to say: Loss of spontaneity I prefer the old general public sense of things happening that were not on your terms – the element of unpredictable randomness – over this smartphone and headphones public. One day, something will happen that is not what, when, how, or why you wanted it to happen. Life could surprise you, it could be spontaneous... Life can be big, and it can require you to adapt to it rather than the reverse. TheRedSquirrel Want to add your view to the conversation? Leave a comment here. Fear of intervening The Department for Transport says there are already rules in place for anti-social behaviour... but the problem is the public are afraid to intervene – as are public transport staff – as illustrated in this survey. So many headlines about people being aggressively attacked or even killed for asking others not to behave in an anti-social way. OnlyFishLeft Just ask politely People need to grow up and stop being frightened of asking a puny teenager to turn their music down on the bus. People are often in their own little world, and teens have almost zero social awareness. I've asked plenty of times, and usually people oblige and apologise. Umplmpa Posters and campaigns are needed The problem is, if you stick your neck out and ask them to switch it off or use earphones, they could stick their fist out to collide with your face. People pay large sums for earphones and don't use them – why? The old Sony Walkman headphones used to leak sound annoyingly; modern digital equivalents don't. It is true, a rail industry campaign is needed (posters on trains, frequent announcements telling people they could be fined for breaching the railway byelaw on unsociable behaviour). However, how effective or practical will it be to complain to the train guard/manager? How keen will they be to intervene? Steven1954 The law has existed for decades There has been a law for more than 40 years that makes it illegal to play music in public without the use of headphones. I had a boombox that I took to parks, and I remember when the law was introduced. I never felt the need to break the law after that and only used it at home, and at a sensible volume. Baz1 'I'll throw your phone out the window' I told a guy to turn it off or I'd throw his phone out the window. He turned it off pretty sharpish! Admittedly, I'm 6ft 2 and 20 stone, so it's certainly not an action everyone can take. But something definitely needs to be done about these selfish morons. TheViking More transport police needed More transport police are needed. They're trained, wear body protection clothing. The public should not be putting themselves at risk to police TfL. As it is, transport staff are advised not to intervene because of the risks to their safety. This also includes when people don't pay their fares but push through barriers. Benitas Why? I also love those who have lengthy personal conversations with the phone speaker on. Why would you want to share personal dialogue in public? BruteForce It's not even music Unwanted noise and 'music' – which often isn't music at all – is incredibly anti-social. The same people who inflict mindless thumping 'popular' music would be up in arms if I played Beethoven or Brahms. Real music. Dear oh dear. Vobiscum Watching porn on the train I was on a train late(ish) one night, and a group of teen boys were actually watching porn as a collective on the train. Out loud. So the whole carriage could hear it. Also, since when was watching porn a group activity? Or a public one for that matter!? CommentingCommenter Noise cancelling is the way forward This is why I invested in decent noise-cancelling headphones. Now I choose whether I have to listen to the strangers' TikToks, or that baby crying, or that group of friends having a good time. Decided it's better to take ownership of my own comfort than be a whiny, bitter person complaining on the Internet, lol. Pidgolo Define anti-social behaviour It's a question of the definition of "anti-social behaviour". If the authorities consider such behaviour to fall within this definition, the widespread publication of that fact would aid irritated passengers immeasurably. ronyag12 Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day's top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click 'log in' or 'register' in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.
