A crackdown on fare dodging on London’s public transport network has led to a surge in the number of passengers handed £100 penalty fares
TfL enforcement officers at Liverpool Street station on the lookout for fare dodgers(Image: TfL)
A crackdown on fare dodging on London’s public transport network has led to a surge in the number of passengers handed £100 penalty fares, figures show. Transport for London (TfL) said 69,001 penalty fares were issued in the year to the end of March.
That is up 9% from the previous 12 months. Penalty fares are £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days. A further 21,533 cases resulted in reports for possible prosecution, up 19% year-on-year.
TfL said 6.9 million contactless payment cards were checked over the 12-month period, which represents a 51% increase. The transport body said it secured 14,406 convictions for fare evasion in 2025/26, which was 955 more than a year earlier.
In a recent case, a person was convicted after being found using a bank card banned by TfL because of previous breaches of its conditions of use. They admitted 181 offences and were ordered to pay £2,131.
TfL said 3.5% of passengers across its network evade fares, which is “significantly lower than many cities globally”. It is aiming to slash the figure to 1.5% by 2030/31.
Siwan Hayward, TfL’s director of security, policing and enforcement, said: “The overwhelming majority of customers pay the correct fare, and it’s unfair that a minority avoid paying.
“That’s why we are strengthening our capability to detect and deter fare evasion, as shown by the significant increases in enforcement activity across our network – from more customer ticket checks to more officers on the ground and higher levels of revenue recovered.
“Fare evasion is not a victimless crime. It robs Londoners of vital investment in a safe, frequent and reliable transport network.
“We are committed to ensuring that those who evade fares face the consequences of their actions, and that the cost of fare evasion is paid by the evaders, not our fare-paying customers.”
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