Plan to beat bus pass fiddlers
Page 23
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A "FIDDLE" costing London £200,000 a year could be stopped by the issue of a passport type identity card to be linked with bus passes this summer.
The initial issue would cost £50,000 with an on-going annual cost of £12,000, London Transport reported to the Greater London Council this week.
Holders of Red Bus passes and go-as-you-please tickets are lending their passes to other people.
There have been persistent reports from bus crews and 'revenue checking inspectors about the fraudulent transfer of passes and the £200,000 estimated loss is considered conservative; it could be a good deal higher, says LT.
There are about 103,000 holders of annual and monthly Red Bus passes and 4,000 holders of Red Bus pass Underground extensions. Go-asyou-please ticket holders number 2,000. The total annual revenue is £14 million.
The LT ticket is the only one remaining among PTEs which does not require photographic Identification and the need to counter ticket transfer is well recognised among public transport operators.
After the planned July fares increase. LT will introduce an identity card with a photograph of the holder linked with the ticket by a serial number. Both will be contained in a folding case supplied free to the passenger.
Applicants will be required to supply the photograph at their own expense. It will be copied by Polaroid equipment on to a tamper-proof identity card which will have an indefinite life.