Could a ‘yellow card’ fine system soon be introduced onto UK railways? (Picture: Getty)
Train passengers caught without a ticket should be let off with a warning for a first offence, a watchdog has said.
Transport Focus has urged train firms across Britain to introduce a ‘yellow card system’ to ensure that passengers who made an honest mistake are not punished unfairly.
A record of passengers found not to have the correct ticket or railcard would be kept instead so it can be checked in future.
Several cases where passengers have been penalised or prosecuted for minor ticket offences have emerged, including some who had used their railcards incorrectly.
Engineering graduate Sam Williamson said he was left facing a criminal record after being told by Northern Rail that he unknowingly used his railcard at the wrong time, resulting in him paying £1.90 less than he should have.
Transport Focus wants to introduce a digital record of railcards to tackle the issue (Picture: Alamy)
Sam said he was ‘unaware’ that his ‘anytime’ ticket wasn’t valid as it did not meet the £12 minimum fare that applies to 16-25 Railcards between 4:30am to 10am Monday to Friday.
He was still issued a prosecution letter by the government-owned operator, despite offering to buy the correct ticket and doing his best to ‘fix the mistake’.
After national media picked up Sam’s story, Northern dropped the case against him.
Industry body the Rail Delivery Group previously estimated that around £240 million is lost through far evasion on British railways each year.
Transport Focus suggested introducing a digital record of railcards that can be ‘accessed on demand’ to tackle the issue.
This would allow ticket inspectors to quickly check passengers’ eligibility for the relevant discount, even if they have forgotten or are unable to access proof when asked.
The watchdog believes passengers should be issued with a physical digital ready reference note highlighting times of eligibility and any other significant restrictions.
‘Key facts should not be buried in small print Terms and Conditions,’ it claims.
Passengers should also be issued automatic reminders when their railcards reach expiry, the watchdog adds.
Natasha Grice, director for rail at Transport Focus, said: ‘We understand and support the principle that all users of rail should be paying for the ticket, but we want to make sure that passengers who make an innocent mistake aren’t punished unfairly.
‘There are some things that the industry could do now to make things better, and our research tells us that if the railway is to build trust and confidence, an improved approach to revenue protection is needed.
‘Recouping this money could help boost investment in services, making things better for passengers.’