Fraudulent tickets are being targeted by Stagecoach in a bid to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
Last year, staff checked 2,600 bus journeys on Stagecoach services in Greater Manchester, and identified ticked fraud equivalent to 33 pence for every passenger ticket checked. However, these checks also resulted in 99 arrests being made for a variety of crimes including drug offences, possession of offensive weapons, illegal immigration, assault and ticket fraud.
Research carried out highlights the vulnerability of students travelling the Wilmslow Road bus corridor and how this tends to attract a level of organisation around the manufacture and sale of fraudulent tickets.
Students appear a relatively easy market to exploit, especially in this autumn term when they are still new to the city and unfamiliar to the risks posed in this area. In recognition of this, students caught with fraudulent tickets will not be arrested but have their ticket withdrawn and are made to pay the standard fare of £20 for the trip.
Stagecoach feels these checks are necessary so that fewer students will fall victim to these types of activity and so the small minority of people causing the problems can be dealt with.
A statement from Stagecoach said: “The police will not become involved in activities that have no value to them and that do not enable them to meet the aspirations of the communities they serve in terms of reducing crime and the fear of crime.”
