Mayoral candidate proposes increased police at Tube gates

Alex Challoner, a candidate for the Conservative Party nomination for the 2028 Mayor of London race, has made tackling fare evasion on public transport a central promise of his campaign. He proposes deploying more British Transport Police (BTP) officers at selected ticket gates across the London Underground network, with plain clothes officers also operating on the network. Mr Challoner stated that this increased police presence would be an "easy win" for City Hall and would "pay for itself" within a few years.

Transport for London (TfL) estimates that fare evasion results in annual losses ranging from £190 million to £211 million. The organisation has set a target to reduce the current fare evasion rate of 3.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent by the year 2030. This includes the recent addition of 50 Transport Support Enforcement (TSE) officers to support Revenue Protection Teams.

Figures indicate that fare evasion is more prevalent on the London Underground compared to other public transport modes, with an estimated rate of around five per cent. Mr Challoner expressed frustration at witnessing people bypass barriers, stating, "Once a week I see a handful of people busting through the barriers, and it really makes me cross." He believes that addressing this issue would be a straightforward achievement for the Mayor's office.

Current Enforcement and Proposed Changes

Currently, TfL staff are not instructed to directly confront fare evaders due to safety concerns. Instead, they are advised to use technology to report incidents, with TfL using this data for intelligence to support enforcement operations. Mr Challoner's proposal suggests that staff would receive enhanced training to handle situations, working alongside BTP officers to ensure their safety and assist in addressing fare evasion.

The City Hall Conservatives have highlighted the Mayor's perceived slow progress in reducing fare evasion. Assembly Member Neil Garratt reported in July that successful prosecutions for fare evasion fines have decreased significantly since 2020, falling from 29,113 cases to 14,406. He also noted that the number of enforcement officers on the network remains the same as in 2010, at 500.

A previous report from the City Hall Conservatives outlined a ten-point plan to combat fare evasion. This plan, authored by Thomas Turrell AM, suggested measures such as installing higher barriers across the network to prevent jumping over, crawling under, or pushing through them, and exploring AI-enabled ticket barriers. A city-wide awareness campaign promoting civic responsibility was also recommended.

Mr Challoner calculated that each one per cent decrease in fare evasion could save TfL £57 million. He suggested that reducing the evasion rate to two per cent would result in the policy becoming financially beneficial for TfL.