Arriva takes 250 to court over bus fare dodging

Dec 27 2007

MORE than 250 bus passengers were prosecuted for fare-dodging over the past year.

Bus company Arriva has had a series of crackdowns during the last 12 months, resulting in a string of arrests and withdrawn tickets.

Since operations began in March, more than 3,500 passengers and 150 buses were checked by police officers and Merseytravel inspectors, who boarded at certain stops and looked at all tickets and passes.

In October and November, four raids on key bus routes resulted in 11 arrests and 73 confiscated tickets.

Tom Balshaw, operations director for Arriva North West, said: “Our message is clear – anyone who travels without a valid ticket is committing a crime.

“People do not try to get away with paying less for a product on the high street, but in our case, it is exactly what they are aiming to do. It is a fraudulent act and we are determined to clamp down on offenders.

“The joint approach to this project was the main reason we have seen such positive results. Furthermore, All the partners are committed to its ongoing success in the future.”

Cllr Mark Dowd, chairman of Merseytravel, said: “If you are caught fare dodging in these raids, we will take action.

“Together we will continue cracking down hard on those who cheat the millions of honest fare-paying passengers who use buses every day.”