Department for Transport

Tackling fare dodgers and making stations in South London safer
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date 18 Feb 2009 10:27
source Department for Transport
type Press release

note DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT News Release (026) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 18 February 2009

New measures to clamp down on fare dodgers and make stations in south London safer were announced by Transport Minister Andrew Adonis today.

The new £5.5 million project will improve security at 14 south London stations using new ticketing gates which could save train bosses from incurring substantial revenue losses.

The announcement follows the recent installation of Europe's longest ticketing line at Waterloo station, where security has improved on trains and passengers can now transfer more easily to Underground services.

From as early as March the new ticket gates will be staffed when operational. From next year they will be staffed for 15 hours per day, including between 7pm and 11pm, improving security and making it safer for passengers to travel late at night.

In total some 68 normal, wide aisle or manual gates are due to be installed by Transport for London (TfL) and Southern. Additional ticket machines will also be installed at Wallington and Tulse Hill stations to make it easier for passengers to purchase tickets.

Transport Minister Andrew Adonis said:

"As the experience at Waterloo has proven, these measures will improve station security by increasing staffing at night seven days a week.

"Passengers will also be pleased that action is being taken against fare dodgers who are subsidised by honest travellers."

The gates were to be specified as part of the new South Central franchise, but the Department has worked to introduce the ticket gates alongside the Oyster card roll-out programme to reduce costs and increase security ahead of schedule. Bids for the new South Central franchise will be returned on 18 February 2009 and the Department hopes to announce the winner in late May/early June 2009.

Chief Executive of Passenger Focus, Anthony Smith, said:

"Gating can bring benefits. Clearly passengers who do the right thing and pay for their ticket should not be forced to subsidise those who try to cheat the system.

"One of the key advantages of installing gates is that they must be supervised and therefore staff are present and visible at the station.

"Passengers tell us that they feel safer when there are staff around and it also means they can ask advice about their journey and easily seek out help.

"However, their introduction should be judged on a case by case basis to ensure paying passengers will benefit from their installation."

The project marks the first stage of improvements to station staffing that will be delivered within the new South Central Franchise from early 2010. The franchise contains a requirement that the gates will be staffed from the first train in the morning until the last train at night, seven days a week.

TfL will be acting as the Department's agent for the implementation the tickets gates, and Southern will be assisting by adapting stations to accept the new equipment. The first gates should be operational from March and will be ready for the later introduction of Oyster Pay as You Go.

Notes to editors

1. The £5.5m will cover the cost of installing gates at 14 stations. 'Wide Aisle' gates will be introduced at every station to accommodate wheel chairs, pushchairs and luggage, and remote monitoring equipment installed to ensure secondary station entrances are kept open, to reduce passenger inconvenience, while maintaining security.

2. Gates are planned to be installed at the following stations between March and August 2009:
Streatham Common (2 entrances) Peckham Rye Streatham Hill
Purley (2 entrances) Streatham Thornton Heath Norbury
Wallington (2 entrances) Tulse Hill (2 entrances)
Gipsy Hill South Croydon Carshalton
West Norwood (2 entrances) Battersea Park



3. The installation of the gates is dependent on relevant consents being granted. Southern and TfL are liaising closely with Network Rail regarding linkages with other projects at the relevant stations.

Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk

Railhub Archive ::: 2009-02-18 DfT-001