Rail Fare penalties being imposed - The Law

Aug. 11, 2015 - PRLog -- “Recently we have received a number of calls on the amount of Rail Fare Penalties being imposed on travellers”, said Darren Hackley-Green, Solicitor-Advocate and head of Motor Prosecutions Defence team at NewLaw Solicitors.

Hackley-Green continued, “The thought process by railway providers is to dissuade the dishonest from travelling without a ticket. However, all the examples I have met so far are individuals who have not willingly purchased a ticket with an undervalue or not willingly intended to avoid paying rail fares but, for reasonable reasons, have started their journey without a valid ticket.

‘We are required to purchase a ticket before we travel. However, it does not help that the majority of the train stations are ineffectively run by a minimal of staff so that the queuing system is unacceptable and lengthy. Admittedly, where there are machines available, individuals really do not have much excuse, but at rush hour, these are usually very busy and on many occasions out of order or not working effectively.

‘The rail services are actively finding individuals to fine and have employed certain individuals to carry out this role. It would have been better for our society if those individuals had been employed to man ticket kiosks in order to reduce peak time queues, as opposed to increasing the monies that go into the rail provider’s pockets in what is an overpriced and underperforming system.

‘Also, with the increase in prosecutions for these minimal offences, the Magistrates Courts are being clogged up with these cases, which has a knock on effect on other matters that need to be dealt with and turned around more quickly.

‘Overall, the purpose is to reduce the number of individuals who intentionally travel without paying a rail fare. Is this scheme working or is it just punishing law abiding members of the public who have reasonable excuses to not have purchased a ticket despite this being no defence to the charge?  I will let you decide.”