[Article] 50 nabbed without Luas tickets

ambasite

50 nabbed without LUAS tickets
14/07/2004 - 11:55:08

Extra ticket inspectors will be hired for the LUAS after about 50 passengers were caught without tickets during the first week of operation.

Some paid their €45 fine immediately while others have been given a 30-day period in which to pay up, or face a maximum penalty of €600.

Connex, which runs the Dublin tram service, currently employs 15 ticket inspectors and plans to employ a further 10 before the end of August.

Sleipnir

If 50 were caught then there's 250 getting away with it!

ambasite

not so bad out of a total of 140,000 paying customers for that week.

Raggamuffin

it has to be more than that...

sure my ticket had number 163 on it...

BuffyBot

Originally posted by Raggamuffin
it has to be more than that...

sure my ticket had number 163 on it...

Each inspector would have a seperate book of tickets. His my not haved started at the serial number 001

Hecate

Good to see they're enforcing this anyway, and high profile stories in the press will keep the freeloaders away.

In ranelagh the other day, as inspectors were moving through the tram at the stop; a few of the 'tracksuit and baseball cap' brigade went to get on, they spotted the inspectors and immediatly stepped back onto the platform

blobert

I think they might have underestimated the number of inspectors they will need. Connex mostly opperate in France and Germany, where people tend to be more honest about paying for things (even when they won't get caught if they don't).

Hecate

I don't know if the dishonesty is confined to Ireland exclusively. When I was over in san jose last summer I used the local VTA light rail system (very similar to luas) quite a bit, not once did I see anyone buying tickets....or ticket inspectors for that matter.

sliabh

This morning going from Milltown to Sandyford the tram was inspected and one punter was found without a ticket. He was turfed off at Balally an told to buy a ticket. To be fair to him (and the inspector) he appeared to be unable to find his ticket rather than a free loader. The inspectors do seem to be using a lot of discretion.

As for the Germans being more honest, I was riding the Munich U-bahn 2 weeks ago. The German I was with was surprised that I was going to buy a ticket for our trip. He felt there was little chance of getting caught.

So honest Irish man trumps dodgy German :-)

uberwolf

In Brussels the only people who pay are the tourists, according to the travel guides anyway, and observation seemed to back that up

mackerski

The Munich U-Bahn was mentioned - and it's a good comparison for the Luas honesty system. Firstly, there are plenty of "Schwarzfahrer" (fare dodgers) on all German public transport, especially where an honesty system applies. Ticket checks (in Munich) are a lot less frequent than the one-in-six suggested for Luas. However, the fine, which I think is about €60 these days, is still such that it will negate your gains on fare dodging. In particular, if you ride the service daily, you will get caught sooner or later. There are a few crucial differences between Munich and here that probably make their system more effective:

* The nature of the spot checks. From what I've seen in this thread, my impression is that uniformed Connex staff board the tram, effectively warning the evaders. In Munich, the first you know of the ticket check is when a load of unassuming fellow-passengers (grannies are not uncommon) stand up (after the doors are closed), flash badges and ask to see your ticket. You'd have to be extremely alert to guess what was coming.

* The social infrastructure. Leaving aside the honesty thing (Germans are good at obeying rules, but only because they know there are sanctions), everybody in Germany is obliged by law to carry official ID. This means that if you are caught evading, you will have to show ID before being let go. The police can be summoned if you cannot prove your place of residence. I wonder how many Luas penalty payment demands have been sent to made-up addresses?

* The penalties for repeated evasion. Even if you figure that €60 isn't a bad gamble, that's for the first offence. They reserve the right to prosecute you further, and they will if you make a habit of it.

Dermot

Imposter

Originally posted by blobert
I think they might have underestimated the number of inspectors they will need. Connex mostly opperate in France and Germany, where people tend to be more honest about paying for things (even when they won't get caught if they don't).

I don't think they have. If the chances of meeting an inspectior are 1 in 5 and the fine (or 'normal fare') is many times the ticket price then there are enough inspectors.

When people get used to the ticketing and the way the trams operate then the numbers could even be reduced and a more resource efficient program of inspections could be introduced, such as targetting times where people have been shown to be less likely to have a ticket.

sliabh

How frequently are people being checked? I have made 5 pais journeys so far and I have been checked once. This seems to back up Connex's claims that 1/6 will be checked. But what is everyone else's experience?

Xerxes

Originally posted by uberwolf
In Brussels the only people who pay are the tourists, according to the travel guides anyway, and observation seemed to back that up

The owner of the hostel me and some friends stayed at in Brussels laughed at us for buying tickets for the city underground system.
Most people just strolled passed the window of the guy that was selling tickets and he didn't seem to really care.

Victor

Originally posted by Xerxes
The owner of the hostel me and some friends stayed at in Brussels laughed at us for buying tickets for the city underground system. Most people just strolled passed the window of the guy that was selling tickets and he didn't seem to really care.

Part of the point is that it's the tourists are about the only ones buying single tickets. 10 single tickets cost twice as much as a ten jouney ticket.

PS Technically it isn't the "underground ", but the Metro and the pre-Metro (underground trams in the city centre).

sliabh

As an update to my earlier post. After 9 journeys, mostly at commuter times I have had my ticket checked 3 times.

A 1 in 3 check would make me very wary of trying to ride for free. Or do I just attract ticket inspectors?

Earthhorse

No sliabh, that sounds about right and I've been getting the Luas since the start. The real problem could be that they don't inspect at peak times (because the trams are too crowded) so people could get away with that.

As someone else pointed out they also forewarn people with their bright purple jackets. I saw a woman scuttle down the back of the tram when she heard the inspector coming on the weekend and get off at the next stop. They'd be better off with unassuming ID badges.

P&L

They do, they wear a navy blue suit. The guys in the Purple were just to hold peoples hands during the initial period, answering quueiries, taking complaints, getting feedback. they are not Connex staff and do not check tickets (I was a purple Barney man myself)

sliabh

Has anyone else noticed that a large number of the Connex staff seem to be from the UK? I am wondering is this because they drafted in extra help from their UK operations during the start up period, or are they permenant transfers, either voluntary or due to people being available when they lost franchises in the UK?