London mayoral hopeful proposes reward for fare evader tips

Alex Challoner, a hopeful for the position of Mayor of London, has put forward a proposal for a reward system designed to encourage Londoners to report individuals who evade fares on the Transport for London (TfL) network. The scheme would offer informants 25% of any money subsequently recovered by TfL from fare evaders.

This proposed reward could encompass unpaid fares, penalty fares, and compensation awarded through court proceedings. Challoner suggested that for a case where a fare dodger was ordered to pay over £2,100 for 181 journeys without payment, a successful tip-off could result in a reward of approximately £500.

Tackling Financial Losses

Fare evasion is a significant issue for TfL, with estimates suggesting it costs the organisation £190 million annually. Challoner stated that the current situation under Mayor Sadiq Khan results in no action being taken against those who do not pay. If elected, he vowed to initiate a 'Fare Watch' publicity campaign to inform the public on how to report fare evasion.

This is not the first time Challoner has focused on fare evasion. When he launched his bid for the Conservative nomination for Mayor of London, a central part of his platform was the idea of stationing police officers at Tube ticket gates. His plans also included training TfL staff to confront suspected fare dodgers and to support police officers operating at the gates.

Challoner is seeking the Conservative candidacy for the 2028 mayoral election. He is competing against other candidates, including former Home Secretary Sir James Cleverly and former police commissioner Festus Akinbusoye.