Excessive penalty?

[island]

So is it right the penalty fare does not only have to be paid on the day? Therefore I MAY have a position to request to pay the penalty fare (£20) and full single fare (£4.10), but any discretion to accept would be down to FCC as is the 'discretion' of the Inspector not to charge a penalty fare but go straight to the report for prosecution option?

I am all for discretion, when it is equitably applied.

To be clear, the £20 penalty fare includes the £4.10 single. You would need to pay £4.10 on the spot and the remaining £15.90 within 21 days.

The Authorised Collector has discretion to charge a penalty fare, report, sell a ticket, or let someone off altogether. He may have been given guidance by his employer on how to exercise this discretion.

 

[Wath Yard]

I couldn't personally offer any advice on whether to pay or make a counter offer but FCC seem to have introduced some scheme which is between a PF and prosecution which offers you no channel to appeal.

If you feel particularly aggrieved about your son having been requested to pay this amount then as someone else has stated it is probably worth contacting London Travelwatch or the DfT (here - https://www.dft.gov.uk/about/contact/form/) to determine if this is an authorised and legitimate scheme.

 

[RPI]

The passenger has the option to pay the full single fare there and then and the balance of the Penalty Fare within 21 days.

However, it must be remembered that an Authorised Collector has discretion not to charge a Penalty Fare and instead to report for prosecution.

Beat me to it! at no point does any officer of the railway have to issue a PF, a byelaw offence was committed and can therefore be prosecuted for such.