De Lijn increases fines for fare dodging
Passengers boarding a De Lijn tram or bus without a valid ticket will face higher fines from next year. A first offence by an adult will rise to 127 euros, up from the current 107, the Flemish public transport company confirmed on Monday.
It is the first increase in fare-dodging fines in more than ten years, with the last adjustment dating back to 2015. The rise follows the indexation of De Lijn fares in April, when ticket prices increased by an average of 18 per cent after several years without adjustment. The fines have now been brought into line accordingly.
Adult and child fines
An adult caught without a valid ticket for a second time within a year will face a fine of 349 euros, up from 294 euros at present. More serious offences, such as damaging a bus or tram or using a forged ticket, will result in a first-offence fine of 296 euros, up from 250.
Fines for younger passengers are also set to increase. For children under 12, a first offence will rise from 56 euros to 67, while for young people aged 12 to 17, the fine will increase from 81 euros to 96.
“Riding without fares is antisocial"
In June, De Lijn launched an action plan to tackle fare dodging, including more targeted checks on routes, locations and times where offences are more likely. Between January and November, both the number of inspections and the number of detected cases rose by around one fifth, according to a recent study. On average, about 4 per cent of passengers travel without a valid ticket.
“With the new fine rates, we want to change the minds of fare dodgers and encourage our passengers to change their behaviour,” said Ann Schoubs, CEO of De Lijn, in a press release. “The ultimate goal remains clear: all passengers pay correctly for their fare.”
“Riding without fares is antisocial; it’s unfair to society and to passengers who do pay for their fares correctly,” added Flemish minister of mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA). “By bringing the fines back into line with De Lijn fares, we want to reinforce our efforts (against fare dodging, ed.).”
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO PETER HILZ / HOLLANSE HOOGTE / ANP
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