ISLINGTON NOW

The world is their Oyster as fare evaders take bus operators for a ride, reports Nicky Evans

THE number of passengers who fail to pay their way on London’s bendy buses has rocketed since the Oyster card was introduced, new figures have revealed.

In Islington, fare evasion is up by more than 250 times on some bus routes, a request made under the Freedom of Information Act has shown.

A comparison of the figures for January to March 2004 with the same period in 2007 reveals a startling surge in the number of £20 fines issued and in fare evasion reported by Transport for London’s bus inspectors.

On Islington’s bendy buses, the total number of incidences of fines and allegations of fare dodging on four key routes increased from 694 in the first quarter of 2004, to 31,507 in the same period in 2007.

Some of the highest increases in fines for fare avoidance in the borough were seen on bus routes number 38 and 73, which are each used by an average of 1.5 million people every month.

The number of ‘travel irregularity reports’ (TIRs) has also shot up. These are issued when passengers say they have forgotten their pass or do not have sufficient credit. The conductor allows them to travel but reports them to TfL. They must prove the existence of the pass and pay the fare they owe to avoid prosecution.

From January 1 to March 31, 2004, on route 38, the number of people issued with £20 on-the-spot fines for intentional fare evasion, or with TIRs, was equivalent to two people every three days.

For the same three-month period in 2007, general fare avoidance had increased to over 7,000 cases - an average of 78 people every day. This is more than 250 times the 2004 rate.

But the highest percentage increase in fare skipping was seen on route 25, which picks up residents on Rosebery Avenue, en route to Oxford Street or Ilford High Road.

On this bus, the number of fare dodgers given TIRs in the first three months of 2007 increased by more than 25,500 per cent, compared with the same period in 2004. This is equivalent to 138 incidences of fare avoidance being reported on that single service every day.

More than three-quarters of Londoners use the Oyster system, introduced on buses in Spring 2004, to pay for their travel. Those who fail to swipe their pay-as-you-go cards cost TfL an estimated £60 million per year in lost revenue, according to its website.

Unions agree that bendy buses are particularly difficult to monitor. A spokesperson for the transport department of workers’ union Unite, said: “Ticketless fare collection is the most efficient payment method with single operator buses and is something we have advocated.

“We recognize there is a problem with the bendy buses because of the extra doors - we expect more evasion on them. But it is important that people are able to get onto the buses.

“It would be unreasonable to expect the bus driver to intervene when a passenger gets onto the bus without paying.”

TfL maintains that levels of fare evasion have not changed since the introduction of the Oyster card on London buses. No spokesperson for TfL was available for comment. But Patricia Mitchell, head of customer services, commented on the figures when they were published.

She said: “The figures do not demonstrate an increase in general fare evasion on the network, which is similar in 2007 to what it was in 2004. Instead, it reflects increased and more efficient revenue protection activity.”

Have you ever dodged a fare? Is there anything wrong with it? Leave your thoughts below.

Pic: (c) Transport for London 2005