Transport for London has tried to crack down on fare dodging over the past year, prompting a surge in the number of passengers handed £100 fines.
Previous figures published by TfL revealed that the evasion rate has risen year on year.
Just over 69,000 fines were handed out in the year to the end of March – an annual increase of nine per cent, TfL figures show
The penalty fares are £100, but reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days.
File Image
TfL
A further 21,533 cases resulted in reports for possible prosecution, up 19 per cent year-on-year.
The crackdown also saw 6.9 million contactless payment cards checked in the same period, a 51 per cent increase on the year before.
TfL also said it secured 14,406 convictions for fare evasion in 2025/26 – an increase of 955.
In a recent case, a person was convicted after being found using a bank card banned by TfL because of previous breaches of its conditions of use.
They admitted 181 offences and were ordered to pay £2,131.
TfL said 3.5 per cent of passengers across its network evade fares, which is “significantly lower than many cities globally”.
It is aiming to slash the figure to 1.5 per cent by 2030/31.
Siwan Hayward, TfL director of security, policing and enforcement, said: “The overwhelming majority of customers pay the correct fare, and it’s unfair that a minority avoid paying.
“That’s why we are strengthening our capability to detect and deter fare evasion, as shown by the significant increases in enforcement activity across our network – from more customer ticket checks to more officers on the ground and higher levels of revenue recovered.
“Fare evasion is not a victimless crime. It robs Londoners of vital investment in a safe, frequent and reliable transport network.
“We are committed to ensuring that those who evade fares face the consequences of their actions, and that the cost of fare evasion is paid by the evaders, not our fare-paying customers.”
Deputy mayor for transport Seb Dance said: “The vast majority of those using TfL services pay their fares correctly. The small minority of those that evade paying the correct fares are committing a criminal offence which deprives TfL of essential revenue that should be reinvested into our world-leading transport network.
“For those people we have a clear message: fare evasion will not be tolerated, and that they will be held to account.
“As part of our crackdown, we’ve expanded our team of professional investigators across the entire network and invested in cutting-edge technology to target the most persistent offenders, and these new figures show that our approach is working.
“The Mayor and I will continue to support TfL in protecting these vital funds so they can be reinvested in improving transport services for Londoners, as we work to build a better London for everyone.”
London fare evasion rates 2025/26
TfL
