Train companies requested to give ‘yellow card’ instead of fine
Train companies in England are being urged to adopt a “yellow card” system rather than fining or prosecuting passengers traveling without the correct ticket.
Rail watchdog Transport Focus wants passengers to be issued warnings and their names recorded on a digital system, with fines only imposed for repeat offences.
It comes as the rail regulator is looking at how to deal with prosecution and enforcement of fare evasion after it emerged that some passengers were being prosecuted for minor offences.
Engineering graduate Sam Williamson told the BBC last year that he faced Going to court to pay him £1.90 less than he should have,
His case led to widespread criticism of train operator Northern, who later dropped all surviving charges Reported against passengers using Railcard discounts for on-peak services where the basic fare was less than £12.
Some rail companies, such as Cross Country and Southeastern, already have yellow card systems in place, with Merseyside Rail considering introducing one this year.
Transport Focus also suggests digital records of railcards so that inspectors can check whether passengers have forgotten or lost cards.
“Reminders may be issued to passengers to alert them when their Railcard is about to expire,” it says.
Natasha Grice, rail director at Transport Focus, said the watchdog had long been concerned about the complexity of rail fares, which made it difficult for some passengers to buy the right ticket.
Ms Grice said: “We understand and support the principle that all rail users should pay for their tickets, but we want to ensure that passengers who make innocent mistakes are not unfairly penalised. Should not be done.”
Fare evasion is estimated to cost the industry £240 million per year.
Transport Department launches a review After over 74,000 cases for alleged rail fare evasion were quashed A landmark judgment followed that found rail companies were using a certain legal process to fine and prosecute ticketless passengers which should not have been used.
The then Transport Secretary Lewis Haigh asked the Office of Roads and Rail (ORR) to look at how to deal with rail fare evasion.
ORR has asked any passengers who have been penalized for boarding trains without the correct ticket to share their experience.
