Fare evasion is a significant issue in Antwerp’s premetro system, with estimates suggesting that up to 50% of riders do not pay for their tram journeys. The premetro—a light rail network that operates like a metro in city centers, with trams running through underground tunnels before transitioning to surface tracks in outer areas—plays a crucial role in Antwerp’s public transport. To combat fare dodging, the new Flemish government plans to introduce physical access controls at Antwerp’s premetro stations. This aims to ensure only paying passengers can access trams, similar to measures already in place in Brussels.
Mobility expert Dirk Lauwers, a visiting professor at Ghent University and the University of Antwerp, where he teaches and conducts research in the fields of Mobility Planning and Traffic Engineering, underscores the severity of the remarkably widespread fare evasion. Lauwers supports the introduction of access gates but stresses the importance of a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether these gates are more efficient than increasing ticket checks. The key challenge is ensuring that combating fare evasion does not compromise other essential station infrastructure investments, such as escalators and elevators.
While the proposed solution is widely welcomed as a necessary step, the effectiveness of physical access controls will depend on careful implementation and balanced investment to maintain public transport efficiency and accessibility.
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