Penalty fares ‘issued fairly’

BOSSES AT Northern Rail say they will stand firm on the penalty charge scheme, despite calls from a senior politician to scrap them.

Coun Carmel Hall (Lib Dem) told a West Yorkshire Combined Authority transport committee meeting that many rail passengers are being penalised when trying to buy a ticket at their destination.

But a representative from Northern Rail, which runs services through Calderdale, stood by the scheme, claiming ticket machines worked efficiently, penalty fares were issued fairly and passengers could appeal. The Northern website states that, on certain rail routes, if a passenger cannot produce a valid ticket or promise to pay notice, they may be charged a penalty fare – a minimum of £20.

Coun Hall said: “New ticket machines are adding to the misery of passengers who are unable to get a ticket because queues are long. They are arriving at their destination and asking to legally and lawfully buy a ticket and they are being denied – it’s punitive.”

A representative from Northern responded: “I have to disagree with you. The ticket vending machines are reliable.

“It’s never what you do, it’s how you do it, and we introduce it fairly and impartially and the appeal system works.

“If someone cannot queue because the queue was too long we can check that and overturn on appeal. The ticket vending machines will probably be short lived. The days of paying for tickets will not be that long. But it is not a pre-requisite owning a mobile phone to travel on a train.”

The firm’s website states: “If a passenger gets on a train without a ticket or promise to pay notice at a station where ticket buying facilities are available, they may be liable to pay a penalty fare.”

‘We introduce it fairly and impartially and the appeal system works’

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