Simply ref advice on your question ref contacting the MP / Sadiq Khan.
My advice would be to seek assistance from the appropriate person who represents you (in the sense of a constituency) at the level of government responsible for TfL - I suspect that rather than the Mayor this might be a London Assembly member, and they may be a more effective person to approach. See:
https://www.london.gov.uk/moderngov/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1
It may also be that you could also contact your MP (they may pass it on to an Assembly member or other appropriate representative if they do not regard it as a 'parliamentary matter' (ie TfL is not accountable to UK Parliament, so therefore not their role as an MP to 'hold it to account' on your behalf vis a vis this problem, or they may use their discretion to raise it for you with TfL - it's up to them really, but no harm in asking).
To do this, I would write a short covering letter to them (Assembly Member and / or MP - if you write to both make it clear to each of them that you have also written to the other as they won't thank you for duplicating things) saying you have this problem, this is why you believe you have been wrongly / unfairly treated, enclose the correspondence, and ask if they can 'intervene on your behalf to try and seek an appropriate resolution' or some such. Make sure your name and postal address is clear so they know you are a constituent.
The main reason to do this is that TfL may have a dedicated correspondence team that deal with elected representative's inquiries, and such a team is likely to be made up of more experienced staff who can examine the case carefully and take a decision. Basically it can help 'cut through' the wall of non responses that other systems get bogged down in.
This would not be to supercede your efforts to resolve it, which you should continue with as you are doing with advice on this site.
I can't advise on going to the press, but always bear in mind they are there to 'sell copy', not to resolve people's problems - but that does not mean it isn't an option you may also wish to consider.
Thank you for your advice. I've drafted the below letter to the Assembly Member who represents Hackney residents. I know it still looks quite long, but it fits on 1 page of A4 including space for my address and date at the top. I will attach it to an email and in the body of the email say that I have sent a duplicate letter to my MP, Diane Abbott. Do you think it looks alright? I'm not sure if I've got across what I actually want help with.
I feel like I should email her and my MP before TFL? Or at the same time? Idk...
(I'm aware this thread has just become a back and forth of letter drafting... but I really appreciate everyone's help!)
Dear Jennette Arnold,
I am writing to ask for your assistance as I believe I am being wrongfully prosecuted by Transport For London. They have charged me with being in a compulsory ticket area without a valid ticket, under byelaw 17 (1), on 17th August 2018. I am awaiting a court date from South London Magistrates' Court; however, I plan to write to the TFL prosecution department in the meantime to request the charges are dropped.
This situation has been incredibly stressful, and I have received misinformation and conflicting advice from the courts whilst trying to resolve the matter myself. I am writing to you now to ask for your advice, and if you would please intervene on my behalf to seek an appropriate resolution with TFL.
On the aforementioned date, I was in possession of a valid ticket on my Oyster card. I had paid for a zone 1-3 travelcard on 31st July 2018, and was travelling from zone 2-1, therefore the assertion I did not have a valid ticket is incorrect. I recognise there is a requirement to touch in and out at the ticket barriers in order to travel, however when I tried to touch in that morning the card wasn't working. I have never attempted to evade rail fare and I was not attempting to on this date.
In addition to having a valid ticket, I had been granted permission to travel. The member of TFL staff at Hackney Downs opened the ticket barrier for me and told me to explain that my Oyster was not working to the staff at Liverpool St, an instruction which confirms he knew I would be travelling to Liverpool St despite not having touched in.
Under byelaw 17 (3) (iii), it states that:
(3) No person shall be in breach of Byelaw 17(1) or 17(2) if:
(iii) an authorised person gave him permission to travel without a valid ticket.
The staff member at Hackney Downs did not give a disclaimer that I was undertaking a risk by travelling without having touched in, and I had no reason to question his authority to allow me access.
I did not receive a penalty fare for travelling without having touched in, TFL's first action was to prosecute me. The first correspondence relating to the charge was sent to me 4 months after the incident, by which time I had moved home. This meant I was convicted in my absence and over the last year have been pursued by HMCTS and, subsequently, debt collectors, entirely without my knowledge. Fortunately, I have now submitted a statutory declaration form which has been accepted and the case has been reset. The original correspondence has been forwarded to me and I have attached it to this email for your reference.
I believe I have been unfairly treated by TFL in this matter. I reasonably assumed I had permission to travel from the member of staff at Hackney Downs, and I would not have travelled at all if I was told I would be undertaking a risk for not touching in at the ticket barrier.
Any help you can offer me would be enormously appreciated.
Kind regards,
