Inspectors swoop on fare dodgers

They were dubbed the "happy buses" for the ease with which fare dodgers on them could get away without paying for a ticket.

An Evening Standard survey two months ago revealed that because London's new bendy buses have three entrances and no conductors, hundreds of passengers have been able to travel free every day.

But, as these pictures taken in Whitehall reveal, transport bosses are stepping up their fight against the freeloaders: a team of eight inspectors swarm onto a bendy bus seeking fare dodgers, splitting into smaller groups to block each of its doors, ensuring no escape.

The beefed-up campaign by Transport for London (TfL) is to be further bolstered by a 25 per cent increase in the number of inspectors by the summer.

The number of doors on the new vehicles - introduced to replace the Routemaster bus - mean there are several ways of not paying the fare. The buses, which operate on nine routes, are particularly vulnerable in off-peak times and outside central London.

The £10 penalty for being caught without a ticket is also thought to be too low to deter would-be fare dodgers from trying their luck. Regular users have reported how some passengers appear to be able to travel on them all day without paying, confident in the knowledge that their chances of getting caught are minimal.

One Standard reporter spent 10 hours on the 73 route between Essex Road and Angel, Islington. Despite making 67 journeys he was not once asked to show his ticket. On at least three journeys the Oyster card machine was out of order.

On five attempts to board at the front to show his ticket, the entry remained shut and he was told to use the other doors.

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show fare dodgers have clocked up more than 150 million journeys on London's public transport network since Mayor Ken Livingstone came to power.

But TfL says its surveys show that fare evasion on all routes is only 2.2 per cent, with the rate even lower on bendy buses, at 2.1 per cent.

Cynthia Hay, of pressure group Capital Transport Campaign, said: "We welcome extra inspectors but really they need even more to combat the problem.

"They also need to speed up the introduction of Oyster card readers on the rear doors and publish better fare information."

Jeroen Weimar, TfL's director of transport policing and enforcement said: "TfL is very serious about tackling fare evasion on all our transport services.

"We use a range of tactics including plain-clothes officials and joint operations with the police, to identify and deal with fare evaders.

"Targeted and effective action against fare evaders is welcomed by most of our fare-paying customers and ensures TfL can maximise its investment in better transport services for all Londoners."