UK rail firms urged to issue ‘yellow card’ warnings instead of penalty
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People should not be punished for honest mistakes, says watchdog, amid concern at fare evasion measures. Train firms have been urged by the rail passenger watchdog to give a “yellow card” to people travelling without the correct ticket rather than rush to fines or prosecution.
Transport Focus said a new system was needed to ensure that passengers who had made an honest mistake were not punished unfairly, amid growing concern at measures being taken to tackle fare evasion. A number of passengers have been penalised or prosecuted for minor discrepancies, including some who were fined more than £400 when inadvertently using railcards incorrectly and saving less than £2.
The watchdog called for the introduction of a nationwide yellow card system, under which passengers who made a mistake for the first time would be informed of the issue and have their names taken and recorded, with fines only issued for repeat offences.
Transport Focus called for the introduction of a central digital record of railcards issued to allow passengers’ eligibility for discounts to be checked easily by inspectors, should passengers have forgotten to carry a card or be unable to access them online when required.
Passengers could be issued reminders to alert them when their railcards are close to expiry, it said. More broadly, the watchdog said the industry should simplify its fares and ticketing system. Natasha Grice, the director for rail at Transport Focus, said the watchdog had long been concerned about the complexity of rail fares, making it hard for some passengers to buy the correct ticket.
