8 December 2005

SPT crackdown on ticket fraud

Strathclyde Passenger Transport is cracking down on ticket fraud on rail, bus and Subway services this festive period in conjunction with the British Transport Police, Strathclyde Police and public transport operators.

A pre-Christmas clampdown on ticket cheats, who are estimated to cost public transport users around £5 million a year, will begin on Monday 12 December when teams of inspectors will carry out random ticket checks on passengers using trains, buses and the Subway across Strathclyde.

Bus operators First, Arriva Scotland West, and Stagecoach Western Buses will take part in the Joint Ticket Inspection along with rail operators First ScotRail and SPT Subway and all will be aiming to catch any passengers travelling with fake, out-of-date, altered or inappropriate tickets.

Anyone caught trying to dodge their fare could face a court appearance and end up with a hefty fine.

SPT Chair, Councillor Alistair Watson said: "We are determined to stamp out this kind of ticket fraud as the money it costs could be spent on improving the public transport network and keeping fares down.
"I welcome this initiative once again this year and hope it will make people think twice about using fake tickets on public transport as there is every chance they will be caught and dealt with by the law."

Chief Inspector Alick Irvine, the Strathclyde Police co-ordinator for SPT's Ticket Security Group, added, "Strathclyde Police fully supports and endorses the work of SPT to stop ticket fraud on public transport. Partnership working is the key to tackling this problem, and we welcome any initiative that targets this type of crime. Strathclyde Police is committed to targeting criminals who profit from any type of fraudulent activity."

ends

Notes to editors

The Joint Ticket Inspection Initiative runs between 12 and 16 December.