News / Transport
£50 fines to be introduced for bus passengers without correct ticket
‘Revenue protection officers’ will be travelling on buses in Bristol from March 1 on the lookout for fare dodgers.
On a new page on their website, First Bus say revenue protection officers will be regularly riding across their bus network “to ensure everyone is travelling with a valid / correctly issued ticket”.
If bus passengers are unable to show a valid ticket to travel or the required ID for their ticket, a flat-rate £50 fine will be issued.
On London buses, ‘revenue inspectors’ have the power to charge £80 for a penalty fare, which is reduced to £40 if you pay within 21 days. Transport for London also remind their passengers that fare evasion is a criminal offence.
No fare dodgers to be seen on this bus – photo: Martin Booth
First say that “most customers pay the correct fare, but a small minority try to take advantage by presenting or asking for a ticket they are not entitled to (e.g. an adult with a child ticket), or by more blatantly avoiding paying”.
Their website says: “We don’t want our drivers to be in a difficult position, so the revenue protection officers are there to provide support, and to deter and catch those who abuse the system, which isn’t fair on other customers.
“By collecting the proper fares we ensure that we can invest in better services for our customers.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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