London Underground Fare Evasion Dips After Fine Increase

Sadiq Khan says higher fines stop fare dodging. He thinks they work as a good scare tactic. The mayor says London’s fare evasion is fairly low, especially compared to other big cities.

Yet, it still hurts transport funding. City Hall Tories disagree with Sadiq Khan. They think he ignores how big the problem is and want police to help stop fare dodging.

Last year, TfL raised the fine from £80 to £100. If paid fast, it’s £50, not £100. TfL’s fare evasion was 3.8% last year.

The mayor stated figures from April 2023 to March 2024. After the fine rose, it dropped a little bit, falling to 3.4% from April to June 2024. The mayor thinks the £100 fine works well.

July to September data is late this year because a cyber attack caused a delay, says Sadiq. Critics say evasion is still too high, as TfL wants it below 1.5%.

Keith Prince says City Hall is in denial. He says the police stopped helping TfL because the mayor did not back them. Prince wants the Met Police to come back and work with TfL staff. He brought up that the Met stopped helping TfL last May after a police officer got in trouble for wrongly accusing a woman who paid.

Sadiq Khan says fare evasion hurts TfL greatly. It impacts safety, investment, and confidence in the system, too. TfL’s approach is target-driven and quick.

Khan says many cities have this problem too, but London’s rate is lower than most large places. It is lower than similar cities in Europe and North America. New York’s rate is 13% on the subway and that cost in London would equal £400 million.

London checks best practices often through international meetings.