Regular train user and Town Councillor, Alan Humphries, calls on West Midlands Railway to carry out more regular enforcement action to catch fare dodgers after 60 were fined in just two hours at the town’s station last Thursday
Officers from British Transport Police were joined by West Midlands Railway staff and Droitwich Police Safer Neighbourhood Team officers who were also checking for incidents of anti-social behaviour and passengers carrying weapons as part of Operation Sceptre.
Coun Alan Humphries said whilst last Thursday’s operation was effective since then he had caught four trains between Droitwich and Birmingham and on no occasion had his tickets been checked.
“There was no-one at the station to check on me when I got off the trains.
“This, in my view, makes the exercise last week meaningless and virtue signalling.
“People should pay for the journeys they undertake and, if they don’t, should expect and accept the consequences.
“I always pay for my journeys even if just for one stop.”
He said he did not condone fare dodging – his travel cost £59 per week for work but if he did not pay and got caught once the £20 fine would mean he saved £39 on travel.
“For most people who fare dodge on a consistent basis, this isn’t much of a deterrent and means most will consider it a risk worth taking.”
Coun Humphries said guards on trains should check tickets between each stop on every journey, giving ticketless passengers the option to buy one. If they refuse to pay, he said, British Transport Police can be called to deal with them at the next stop or destination station.
“If passengers think this is going to happen on each journey every day, they will be less likely not to pay.
“Every train has a guard or it doesn’t run.”
“This will be far more effective that a once in a blue moon publicity stunt by West Midlands Railways trying to convince the public they take the issue seriously.”
A West Midlands Railway spokesperson said: “While the vast majority of customers do the right thing and buy a ticket, in the interests of fairness we pursue those who try to dodge payment so the money can be reinvested in the railway.
“On-train ticket checks by senior conductors when duties allow are just one part of our measures to tackle ticketless travel which include station ticket barriers and intelligence-led revenue operations.
“We also carry out regular, targeted enforcement action at stations across the network, such as the recent joint exercise with British Transport Police at Droitwich Spa.
“We can and do issue Penalty Fares and prosecute those who attempt to travel without paying and our clear message to fare evaders is that the extra cost and hassle is simply not worth the risk.”
Article first published in the Droitwich Standard online, 26th May 2022.