Crackdown on tole dodging commuters as Gov’t estimates fare evasion losses at $1m a year

COMMUTERS on the inner west light rail without a valid Opal Card will be targeted under a government crackdown on fare evasion after the service lost $1m in revenue.

New legislation has passed through Parliament to crackdown on fare evasion.

COMMUTERS on the inner west light rail without a valid Opal Card will be targeted under a government crackdown on fare evasion.

New legislation passed through State Government this month has removed a loophole allowing ticket-dodging travellers to challenge fines on the grounds “no machines were available for issuing or topping-up an Opal Card”.

The laws are focused on the six light rail stations which do not have ticket machines: Exhibition, Leichhardt North, Lewisham West, Taverners Hill, Waratah Mills and Wentworth Park, and will also apply to ferry, train and bus services.

The crackdown comes as the Transport Department estimated $491,000 was lost in light rail revenue from fare evasion between last June and December.

That represents a 42 per cent increase on the same period in 2015.

A Transport Department spokesman declined to say if there were plans to introduce new machines at the stations without machines, saying it was “the customer’s responsibility to plan ahead.”

The legislation supports the move towards a “cashless” public transport system with the State Government promoting online direct debits as the “simplist” way of topping up an Opal Card.

The move includes closures of manned Transport Shops, including set ups at Wynyard, the Queen Victoria Building and the Railway Square bus interchanges that will permanently close this Friday.

The Transport Department says the amended legislation “clarifies the requirement for customers to hold a valid ticket when using public transport”.