Neil Williams wrote:
Jonathan Morris wrote:

Even after the £20 introduction last year, a gripper 'caught' a guy in
a suit that had £20 in his hand and gave it over before the inspector
said a word. He'd clearly worked out that it was cheaper than a ticket
every day. Sadly, he's right to think it.

On the main line, that should be 20 quid or twice the full single fare
for the journey made. For some commuters into London that is likely to
take it well over that.

It's a good point, though. I'd like to see it increase to the level of
a parking fine, as the amount evaded is usually of a similar magnitude.
60 quid standard, discounted to 30 quid if paid on the spot/within one
month, increased to 90 quid if left too long, would be a good start.
TOCs do like prosecuting people instead of late, but that they have to
resort to this is IMO showing the failure of the penalty fare.



No, the person with the £20 was showing evidence of deliberate
fare-evasion, and should have been prosecuted, risking a fine of £1000
or gaol or whatever is. Plenty of people have been prosecuted when
this sort of routine behaviour is observed.

I say yet again, that a penalty fare is NOT a fine, either on-the-spot
or any other kind. They got through Parliament on the grounds that
they were the standard fare for not paying in advance of getting on the
train. Penalty fares must not be issued if deliberate fare-evasion is
suspected.

(This is, of course, completely insane. In practice, penalty fares
collude with fare-evaders, by letting them off when they should be
prosecuted, and victimise soft targets who intended to pay but found it
difficult to get a ticket.)