People avoid paying full price for train and bus fares as Opal card costs government millions

15,000 Opal reader breakdowns cost an unknown amount last year as public transport costs rise in NSW.

Fewer train passengers evaded fares on the North Shore Line last year but it still bled more than $7 million, as public transport became more expensive for NSW.

The Northern Line lost about $3 million to fare dodgers but was the second-most honest line behind the Eastern suburbs where more than 96 per cent of passengers paid the correct fare.

Both the value and number of fines decreased by $6.7 million and 33,226 respectively last year.

More people were found travelling with no ticket on the Newcastle and Central Coast lines than in 2012 at an estimated cost of almost $2.5 million.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said fare evasion on NSW public transport was now less than what it was in 2012 ($140 million) costing an estimated $80 million in 2015.

“There are more than 190 Transport Officers working across the network alongside the 610 officers of the Police Transport Command, so people trying to get a free ride should know it could end abruptly,” Mr Constance said.

A train from Blacktown during the morning peak hour on Sydney's worst trainline — the Western — which has the worst record for late trains, lack of access for the disabled and rates of crime.

The overall cost recovery from users of public transport in 2014-15 was just $19.50 per $100 spent, down from $20.70 in 2013-14.

There was an increase in Opal reader breakdowns (15,000 reported) that cost an unknown amount last year because the management of Opal data is outsourced to the private sector.

While public transport patronage increased, passenger revenue shrank by $34 million last year, despite a rail and ferry price hike of 2.5 per cent in January.

Transport for NSW attributed the loss “mainly to the Opal pricing strategy and the take up rate of Opal”.

The original capital budget for the Opal card blew out from $500 million to $563 million this year.

There were also 134,000 Opal cards with negative balances worth $427,000 in June 2015.

COST OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES

■ Train $13.50 (2015), $13.30 (2014)

■ Bus $6.50 (2015), $7.50 (2004)

■ Ferry $8.60 (2015), $9.30 (2014)

Average revenue from PUBLIC TRANSPORT fares

■ Train $2.49 (2015), $2.67 (2014)

■ Bus $1.38 (2015), $1.58 (2014)

■ Ferry $3.04 (2015), $3.03 (2014)