TfL fare evasion falls but still costs London £190m a year

Transport for London’s fare evasion rate has fallen to 3.3%, the lowest level in three years, but the annual cost to the network remains £190m. The figure represents 126 million unpaid journeys each year, or 2.4 million every week.

The reduction follows a period of declining enforcement. Successful prosecutions for fare evasion halved from 29,113 cases in 2020 to 14,406 in the most recent year, according to analysis released by Conservative assembly member Neil Garratt. The number of enforcement officers on the network has remained at 500 since 2010.

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Bonuses for TfL staff under scrutiny

A TfL report published in July revealed that 2,048 staff received total compensation exceeding £100,000 last year, including bonuses and overtime. Commissioner Andy Lord earned £635,533. Westminster councillor Festus Akinbusoye, a former police and crime commissioner, said the payments rewarded failure.

“You cannot be giving a bonus to people who are failing. There is no way that the commissioner for TfL should be getting any bonus whatsoever at all at a time where fare evasion is rising.”

Festus Akinbusoye, Westminster councillor

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Akinbusoye argued that the £165m lost to fare evasion on the Tube and Elizabeth Line could fund 2,000 additional enforcement officers. He linked the issue to a 5.5% fare increase last year, saying law-abiding passengers were subsidising those who evade fares.

TfL defends enforcement strategy

A TfL spokesperson said the drop in evasion followed targeted enforcement in high-risk areas and the use of new technology. Last financial year, TfL issued over 69,000 penalty fares and referred 21,000 individuals for possible prosecution.

The spokesperson added that the current strategy would help meet the target of reducing fare evasion to 1.5% by the 2030/31 financial year. TfL’s 500 uniformed officers continue to patrol the network, addressing fare evasion and anti-social behaviour.

Conservatives propose higher barriers and AI checks

City Hall Conservatives have proposed a 10-point plan to tackle fare evasion, including taller barriers at every station entrance. The plan, authored by assembly member Thomas Turrell, also recommends AI-enabled ticket barriers and a city-wide awareness campaign.

Akinbusoye said the taller barriers, similar to those used in New York, would be worth the investment despite potential delays. He described fare evasion as a breakdown in London’s social contract, where law-abiding passengers see others bypassing barriers without consequence.

What happens next

TfL’s long-term target remains a fare evasion rate of 1.5% or less by 2030. The next formal review of enforcement strategies is expected in early 2025. Conservative proposals, including the installation of taller barriers, would require approval from TfL and the Mayor of London.