Conservatives at City Hall have called for stronger measures to reduce fare evasion on Transport for London (TfL) services, proposing taller ticket barriers, dedicated teams in stations, and the creation of a specialized task force.
Official data show that in 2023-24, the number of prosecutions for fare evasion on the London Underground reached its highest level in six years. Thomas Turrell, Conservative transport spokesman, emphasized that the Mayor of London “continues to pay lip service to the problem, despite Londoners’ concerns when using the Tube.”
TfL responded, saying its “data-driven strategy” is already having an impact, with the fare evasion rate falling from 3.8% to 3.5% in 2023-24. The authority said it spent nearly £14.2 million tackling fare evasion on the Tube and £7.7 million on the bus network, collecting £1.3 million in fines. Penalty fares are set at £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days.
However, the Conservatives warned that, based on current trends, TfL’s target of reducing fare evasion from 3.4% to 1.5% by 2030 “simply will not happen.” “Every Londoner has seen someone jump over the barriers to avoid paying, fully aware that the public will bear the cost,” Turrell said.
Criticism of the Conservative approach came from Elly Baker, chair of the Transport Committee of the London Assembly, who described it as “pure political grandstanding.” According to Baker, a recent cross-party committee report had already highlighted the need to improve safety and confidence through better staffing, but the Tories chose media stunts over practical solutions.
In May, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick posted a video on social media approaching people who had not paid their fares, saying he was “sick to death of people fare dodging” and wanted to “highlight the issue”.