Undercover ticket inspectors deployed on Metrolink in ramped-up fare dodging sting

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Undercover ticket inspectors have been deployed on trams in Greater Manchester as part of a crackdown on fare-dodging. Plain clothes officers have been inspected tickets on the Metrolink since September when new fines for fare evasion were introduced.

The penalty fare for travelling without a valid ticket or pass on trams increased to £120 last month, up from £100. Dozens of extra customer service representatives have been employed to carry out ticket inspections and help passengers on the tram.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) would not disclose how many undercover ticket inspectors are being deployed across the network as part of the recent crackdown, but said that the number of plain clothes inspectors on trams varies daily.

Metrolink operator KeolisAmey Metrolink has said these undercover officers will target passengers who deliberately avoid buying a ticket. READ MORE: Public transport needs a multi-billion pound boost - and Greater Manchester should cover a quarter of the cost, report says READ MORE: The skin crawling reason trams and buses across Greater Manchester are being deep cleaned TfGM’s head of Metrolink Danny Vaughan said: "Fare evasion is something we take very seriously, and it will continue to be a priority as we deliver the integrated Bee Network.