The penalty for travelling on the Metrolink without a valid ticket is to rise from £100 to £120 from 24 September.
As part of a crackdown on fare evasion, dozens more ticket inspectors are to be deployed on Manchester’s trams, and plain-clothes inspectors will also be used.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “There are some who continue to think the rules do not apply to them.
“Our message is clear: if you travel on Metrolink without paying, you’ll now face a higher penalty fare, and you could be prosecuted.”
It was also revealed that almost 55,000 fines have been issued for travelling without a valid ticket, and 6,000 cases have been taken to court this year alone.
Assuming that all fines paid were the current £50 reduced fine, Metrolink would have raised at least £2.75 million. Passengers taken to court, however, could have been fined a maximum of £450, suggesting the true figure raised is likely much higher.
Danny Vaughan, head of Metrolink at Transport for Greater Manchester, urged passengers to pay with contactless.
He said: “We’ll cap the amount you pay at the best price for each day or for a week if you are a regular user. You’ll always pay the lowest fare, and it’s far cheaper than being caught.”
The penalty for failing to pay by contactless will also rise, from £45 to £60.
Commuters at St Peter’s Square had mixed thoughts on the new fines, and the amount of money Metrolink have raised so far this year.
Krish, 28 from Gorton, had no idea penalties are set to increase. Although he always buys a ticket, he said the penalty ought to be reduced.
Tilly, 19 from Didsbury, thought £120 is “a bit high”. She guessed that the Metrolink have raised £500,000 in unpaid ticket penalties, whilst her friend Eleanor, 17, thought £100,000 might have been collected.
Mark, 60, from Miles Platting, said: “They should plough the money back into getting more carriages. Three carriages on a train is not enough. Too busy and not enough seats.”
Only one of the commuters interviewed admitted to not having bought a ticket. The 55,000 fines issued this year, however, suggest that a few more passengers failed to tap in or out.
Image: St Peter’s Square, by Luke Power, 2022
