Independent Penalty Fare Appeals Service

Smick100

I recently took the train in to work when the Victoria Line was unexpectedly down. It was announced that local trains were accepting underground tickets. I have a 2 zone travelcard and got on in zone 3.

I got a Penalty Fare ticket for this and was told I could appeal to IPFAS, which I duly did.

It has now been a full month since I have written and I have received no response. I cannot find a telephone number for them.

Can anyone help with what I should do next?

geordieracer

You can only travel on services that your travelcard will allow. You only had zone 2 so were outside your zone when yoru got on at a zone 3 station. Your travelcard is valid on rail services anyway so you have rightly got a fine..

They should've written to you by now though.. which company did you travel with?

KeithP

Smick100 wrote: »

I have a 2 zone travelcard and got on in zone 3.

I got a Penalty Fare ticket for this and was told I could appeal to IPFAS, which I duly did.

Why did you appeal?
On what grounds?

nomoneytoday

If the line is down then any reasonable alternative can be used. They should write back soon...

Smick100

geordieracer wrote: »

You can only travel on services that your travelcard will allow. You only had zone 2 so were outside your zone when yoru got on at a zone 3 station. Your travelcard is valid on rail services anyway so you have rightly got a fine..

They should've written to you by now though.. which company did you travel with?

Firstly, it was said that the trains were accepting Underground tickets. If I had had an underground ticket issued at Brixton to Bank then I would have been OK but as I have a travelcard I am not, even though that is the journey I make on the tube every day? That seems like nonsense to me.

Secondly, I was in zone 2 when I had my ticket checked but because I told him that I had come from a zone 3 station was why I was issued the fine. Due to my naivety thinking I was OK to get on I ended up telling the truth.

The train company was Southern and the ticket collector was extremely aggressive. I am awaiting the response from IPFAS so I can proceed with a complaint against him.

Geordieracer, I do not think your position on it helps at all.

newfoundglory

Hmm... tricky one.

From a legal (and criminal perspective).... Traveling without a valid ticket is a strict liability offense, which is why you can end up in difficulty with these type of cases. The train company does not have to prove in court that you knowingly travelled without one. The fact you did means you would be convicted.

You should argue that you were given permission to travel without a valid ticket by an authorised person (which you were). The victoria line was down and you were told to use your ticket on national rail. The fact it was not valid for all zones is irrelevant.

Its hard to say if the IPFAS is really independent as they are funded by the train companies! If appeal fails, pay the money, as they cant then prosecute you without giving you your penalty fare back.

Smick100

They really are taking their time but my appeal was succesful.

People should always claim if there is any doubt in their mind and not listen to "experts" who say it was right that they were fined.

The fine was given on 10th November and I appealed that very day. The letter from IPFAS is dated 21st December and I received it on 30th December.

Southern tell me they are to issue the cheque in the run at the end of this month.

catflea

Glad to hear it Smick.

I use Southern everyday and on the whole I find them to be pretty reasonable, especially with the recent weather conditions (that is, if they were running at all :rolleyes:)