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So I’ve been watching the fare evaders series that’s currently on channel 5 and on the last episode there was something that I can’t get my head round.
One woman had used a bank card and had managed to rack up over £3000 of unpaid fares on this bank card. It was clearly the same bank card as the show bleeped out the card number.
But what I can’t figure out is how this was even remotely possible. I’ve used contactless in the past and it adds up the fares for the day and takes it from your account usually the next morning but if it can’t take those fares TfL block the card for any future use until they get their money.
I can’t see how it’s possible to get over £3000 in unpaid fares!!!Yes, that’s not the first time the programme has shown a similar issue, also without explaining how it’s possible and why TfL doesn’t just block the card. Though the programme is interesting, it’s very low on detail. Perhaps that’s intentional to avoid giving away trade secrets but it does rather spoil things for anyone who has the slightest idea how the system works.
As I’ve said to TfL on more than one occasion, stopping evaders blatantly pushing the gates open would yield much better results in reducing fare evasion. I think the programme backs that up: the hours spent by the staff shown waiting at stations for one person would be better spent just asking the card company for the customer’s address, and employing burly SIA-accredited staff at the gatelines.
Generally, they are not paying for the whole or part of their journey, such as entering a station without a gate line without tapping in, then tapping in at validator such as those on the platform in Farringdon for those switching between paper and contactless, before exiting at a later station. To the system the fares look valid as there is a tap in and out which is why the card isn’t blocked, but TfL has a system called ITAP which can pickup on things like this.
There are also serial refunders as well, which is covered during one of their TV specials.
In last night’s episode it was explained what one person – and therefore presumably others in similar cases – had done. It was said that this is a well known and widespread problem. Sounds to me like, as with simply pushing the gates, it’s a problem which is easily solved.
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