penalty fare bus ticket

tat19

Hi all,

May you please give me your advice on my case:

Yesterday, I travelled to London King Cross station by train and got on one of the buses to Oxford Street. An inspector asked for everyone's ticket and I showed her my day-return train ticket. She said that I did not have the correct ticket and I have to pay £25 penalty fare. I told her that I showed my train ticket to the driver on boarding the bus, and been allowed to make my journey. However, the inspector said that drivers do not check tickets! I never knew that drivers do not check tickets. I reasonably assumed that my train ticket is valid for bus travel as the driver saw my train ticket and allowed me to go on the bus. I do not live in London so everything in London is new to me including transport and no sign was there to show that I cannot use my train ticket. Also, I even used this method in other different occasions in London and the driver was everytime ok with this. So, again I assumed I can use my train ticket on bus.

On the other hand, I have to thank the inspector as she was patient, calm and explained everything clearly to me. However, I do not understand why she took my name and address. I paid the penalty fare ticket (£25) on the spot and I have been reading on the web that if you pay the penalty fare on the spot you do not need to provide personal details.


Do you think I can appeal against penalty?

It is not about the money at all. I just do not want to have my personal details in their records and share it with police or other agency? I feel like criminal and i want to appeal to show them that this was not the case.

I am worried if I appealed against it, things will get worse and I will even get more famous in a bad way. what if they declined the appeal? do they just close the case. I do do not want to take this any further.

so if you think i should just leave it like that, I will do it.


many thanks in advance.

dzug1

SOME train tickets are valid for travel by bus - the driver is just checking (if he's doing anything at all) that you have a ticket, he can't actually see it in enough detail to say whether it is valid or not

I'd say you have zero chance of a successful appeal. Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse unfortunately.

Admitting you have done it before might go against you as well - serial offender:D

tat19

thanks dzug1 for reading this.

OK, i think it is better to leave like this. Perhaps this is why the inspector tool my details as she thought I am a famous offender! cause i told her i used this method several times ago.

do you think they can share my personal information or do you think the whole incident is considered an offence or criminal? i am worried about this.


thanks again.

flyingscotno1

Wouldn't be too worried. A lot of buses in Central London drivers don't check tickets either as it is pay before you board anyway.

Made a mistake, got caught and paid up. Happens, just relax and move on.

Stigy

It would only be valid if it was a Travel Card valid in the relevant Zone. Even if you pay on the spot, I think you'll find that the staff can take your personal details anyway, afterall, you might have been a serial offender, and as such, would not have been suitable for a Penalty Fare, but instead would have been reported for summons. I think taking your details was the sensible thing to do that any Inpector worth their weight should do, as they don't know you from Adam, don't forget!

It wont be held or shared with Police, and will only show up as you having had a previous Penalty Fare. If you're on the Electorol Role, that's all that's needed to tie you up with any Penalty Fares you've ever had. Your previous Penalty Fares etc will be held indefinitely, but will never be shared, so don't worry! Unless you plan on travelling without the correct ticket again, you have nothing to worry about! London Buses use Byelaws similar to the Railways I believe, which can be taken to a Magistrates' Court should TfL wish to do so. I believe the Penalty Fares, if ignored, will probably be cancelled and end up in Mags Court too, so be careful.

wealdroam

Stigy wrote: »

It would only be valid if it was a Travel Card valid in the relevant Zone.

Really?

I thought zones had no meaning for buses.
I.e. a zone 1-2 travelcard is valid on buses in zone 5.

Livingthedream

Stigy wrote: »

London Buses use Byelaws similar to the Railways I believe, which can be taken to a Magistrates' Court should TfL wish to do so. I believe the Penalty Fares, if ignored, will probably be cancelled and end up in Mags Court too, so be careful.

Believe it or not, but TfL have stricter Byelaws than the railways and are quite happy to use them to prosecute people that try to avoid paying Penalty fares.

But as the OP has already paid their PFN that hopefully should be an end to it all.

Stigy

wealdroam wrote: »

Really?

I thought zones had no meaning for buses.
I.e. a zone 1-2 travelcard is valid on buses in zone 5.

You can use a Travelcard on tubes, buses and trains, as long as the Zones on the Travelcard are the same as those you wish to travel throughout. I do believe buses have 9 Zones, as well as one tube line though, which has always confused me, as the standard zones are 1 to 6.

Stigy

Livingthedream wrote: »

Believe it or not, but TfL have stricter Byelaws than the railways and are quite happy to use them to prosecute people that try to avoid paying Penalty fares.

But as the OP has already paid their PFN that hopefully should be an end to it all.

A byelaw is a byelaw nonetheless, surely? I think it might be more do do with TfL's willingness to use them, lol.

tat19

Stigy wrote: »

A byelaw is a byelaw nonetheless, surely? I think it might be more do do with TfL's willingness to use them, lol.

Thank you all guys for reading this.

Livingthedream: "...hopefully should be an end to it all" do you mean there is a chance this will not end? as i mentioned, I paid the penalty on sopt.

Stigy: what is electorol? so it will just be held in their system. do you think this can have any affect on my applications to any job?
i do not plan to do this again of course. I may even stop going to london!

sorry guys for all these questions but i am a bit worried. This is the first time this happens to me.

WhiteChristmas

Relax, tat. As has been said, you made a mistake.

It's a civil, not criminal matter, so this doesn't mean you have a criminal record. It won't affect your job chances; you'll never need to declare it.