Full height gates to discourage fare evasion
BART is considering investing $200 million to replace its waist high fare gates for a higher barrier infrastructure

@SFBART

After implementing a proof of payment program last March, BART continues seeking measures to tackle fare evasion. The San Francisco Bay Area’ rapid transport operator is now considering replacing its waist high doors for full height gates. The objective is to discourage people from trespassing fare gates without a valid ticket. 22,000 people skip...

From court citations to administrative fines
Many transport operators in the US are changing their penalty system when it comes to fare evasion to avoid court

US transport operators are shifting to administrative fines

Many US transport operators are shifting from criminal citations to administrative fines for fare evaders. Transit agencies are giving more power to ticket controllers, who can now issue fines to those who do not pay for their use of public transport. There is no need to go to court, thus, payments are lower and...

Front door boarding and ticket validation in Greek buses to crack down fare evasion
After one week of implementation, the measure has achieved a 100% increase in ticket validation

Front door boarding in buses is now mandatory in Greece

The Greek government is determined to crackdown fare evasion in buses. Since early July, only front door boarding is allowed. Also, passengers must validate tickets in front of drivers. This approach already exists in many other European cities. In some cases, like Rome, it goes beyond. According to figures released by the Managing Director...

Auckland strengthens fare enforcement
Since June 18th, transport officers can issue fines of $150 to fare-dodgers

Auckland strengthens fare enforcement Auckland Transport

Auckland has given more power to transport officers to strengthen fare enforcement. Changes to the Land Transport Act and new regulations that came into force on June 18th allow controllers to issue infringement notices to passengers who do not carry tickets. Before the new law, officers could ask to see a passenger’s ticket, but could...

Rome installs turnstiles in bus 669
The deployment is part of an experimental system to fight fare evasion

Turnstiles in Rome's bus 669 TRENINO BLU. https://bit.ly/2ts9R7g

Since June 11th,  Rome’s bus 669 has a new look. Public transport company ATAC has introduced turnstiles in the southern suburbs shuttle service as part of an experimental system to fight widespread fare evasion. After the pilot test, the operator will extend the turnstile system to other lines that have similar routes to 669....

BART’s proof of payment program shows initial limited results
San Francisco Bay Area’s rapid transport operator cited 1,300 fare evaders in two months, but only about 100 have paid the fine

BART’s proof of payment program to crackdown fare evasion has shown unsatisfactory results for its first two months of implementation.

BART’s proof of payment program to crackdown fare evasion has shown unsatisfactory results for its first two months of implementation. Between March and April, the rapid transit public transportation system serving the San Francisco Bay Area (California) cited 1,300 fare evaders. However, only about 100 paid up. BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas evaluated the...

G:link registers a 10% fare evasion rate
People sneaking into the Gold Coast Light Rail costs Queensland state more than $1 million

G:link trams

Almost one in 10 people ride G:link trams for free. Queensland’s Gold Coast Light Rail registered about 8.7 million passenger trips in 2016-2017. Yet, around 724,000 were taken without paying the fare, according to estimates. This implies more than $1 million in revenue loss. Figures revealed the Gold Coast light rail would have achieved...

One in three not paying for public transport in Santiago, Chile
After closing 2017 with a 10-points fall, fraud in public transport reached 28.5% in the first term of 2018

Fare evasion rate in Transantiago reached 28.5% in March 2018

Fare evasion rate in Transantiago continues fluctuating around elevated figures. The public transport system in Santiago de Chile closed 2016 with one its highest rate ever: 34,6%. A year later, the service managed to reduce the figure 10 points to 23,7%. However, during the first term of 2018, the rate has increased again, reaching...

The psychology behind fare evasion
A recent study identifies four types of fare dodgers: Accidental, 'It’s not my fault', Calculated risk-takers and Career evaders

People in a subway

Fare evasion – traveling without a valid ticket in public transport- is a problem for many public transit operators around the world. It undermines the viability of public transport, causes financial losses that amount to millions yearly, and leads to feelings of unfairness and lack of safety among paying passengers. A study carried out...