Penalty Train fares

[boogie80]

Hi,

I was just wondering how the law stands on penalty fares when you don't have a ticket on a train?

Friends of ours were forced to get on the train last night without a ticket as the ticket office was shut. The ride was a couple of stops into Birmingham and would normally have cost just under £2. Anyway, on reaching their destination without a ticket or a permit to travel they were given a £20 fine each!

Is this enforceable? Doesn't it come under the same remit as bank charges in that it doesn't cost the train company £20 to let each person travel without a ticket - it's purely a deterrent and maybe to cover losses from regular fare-skippers.

BTW, Our friends aren't a couple of punks who try to skip paying whenever they can, they spend hundreds of pounds a year on tickets but were just caught out due to lack of staffing / laziness to go and find the permit machine so they didn't miss the train.

Any thoughts??

Hmm I really dont know, but Im pretty sure that even though they couldn't buy a ticket, they are still at fault. They should have gone to the front of the train and asked the assistant before getting off....

I think you would find it hard to claim this back, checked google on information but couldn't find anything!

Sorry

Lou xxx

[eastendhammer]

Well I am in the same dilemma except my case seems a lot more serious and I just cannot understand what this countrys coming to!

I was stopped on the Docklands Light Railway two weeks ago and although I had a Oyster pass with £28 on it, it had not registered correctly on boarding. (Although this would of been taken at the end of my journey due to the barriers) The inspector said I was in the wrong and was fare dodging, something I have never been guilty of before and if they'd checked my records they could see that I have paid for this journey every day of the week for the last 2 years.
The outcome was that he had no choice but to charge me the £20 fine. Although I argued that I was not in the wrong I agreed to pay, but only had credit and debit cards on my person - not cash. He took my details and said it would be sent to me.
I was upset to find that the £20 fine was no longer payable, but a new fine of £76.25 (breakdown of admin/time and costs) and if this was not paid within ten days I would be taken to court and the fine would be in excess of this.
I just cannot understand the way I've been treated ... I've always been an honest member of the public but this leaves me not only embarassed but completely miffed with where I stand? Is there anymore I can do, or should I just swallow my pride and what I see as injustice and pay?

[noobrider]

from what I understand the terms and conditions of using the railway states that you are travelling unlawfully/illegally (not sure which) if you board a train without a valid ticket... full stop. i would say that you would have to have exceptional circumstance and prove that there was no way to purchase a ticket before boarding in order to have a glimmer of hope in avoiding any charges. The railway is covered by special laws hence having its own police force. I know that rushing to catch the tain and not having time to purchase the ticket is not a defence. PS I'm no expert