Courts issue arrest warrants for Metrolink fare evaders

Courts issue arrest warrants for Metrolink fare evaders

Magistrates have issued arrest warrants for thirteen people after they failed to pay outstanding court fines totalling more than £16,000.

The court heard 20 cases of the worst offenders for fare evasion on the Metrolink network which included new charges for failing to pay the standard fare but also for unpaid court fines. The courts ruled, in their absence, that arrest warrants without bail be issued to 13 of them.

One individual was issued a warrant of arrest for court fines amounting to £2,660 and if imprisoned, he could carry a sentence for up to three months.

All the cases heard in relation to failing to pay the Standard Fare were given a 14 day period to pay their fines and will be added to the debtors register which may affect their credit rating.

The individuals were brought before the courts for new offences after they were found to be travelling on the Metrolink network without a valid Metrolink ticket. This was in addition to being summonsed for unpaid fines relating to a number of occasions where they have previously failed to pay the standard fare of £100 imposed on them.

The move is the latest successful initiative by the Metrolink operator, Metrolink RATP Dev, to tackle fare evasion on the network.

Ian Law, finance director at Metrolink RATP Dev, said: “We issue a court summons as a last resort to individuals who have been given a number of opportunities to pay their outstanding fines and have chosen to ignore them.

“Revenue generated from ticket sales goes back into running the system so our efforts are focused on creating an effective deterrent to travelling without a ticket. We believe that a failure to take this seriously would be a disservice to the honest, fare paying customers who make up the majority of our passengers.

“As the network expands, we have to future-proof our approach to fare evasion. We have a series of projects lined up which includes investment in further resources, especially around major events on the network such as concerts and football matches, which is one of many things we are working on.”