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SWT Selling tickets v Penalty fares

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pethadine82

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I have noticed more recently both guards and RPI tend to sell tickets instead of handing out penalty fare.
I watched a revenue block today and there were 8 RPI standing at the entrance.
I saw 2 guys being sold tickets but no PFN was given.
I think its also the way people behave and show respect to the RPI.
One RPI asked very well dressed ladies clutching designer bags if they had a ticket!
I do feel that the location and area make a big difference in attitudes.
Very affluent areas esp near the Wentworth Estate are hardly the places you have fare dodgers, and some of the cars parked at the station are 80K!

For a guard having to juggle safety critical operations which are paramount with revenue duties, it may be easier to collect the fare.
 
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yorkie

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I have noticed more recently both guards and RPI tend to sell tickets instead of handing out penalty fare.
SWT Guards cannot issue Penalty Fares.

RPIs can only issue Penalty Fares in accordance with the Penalty Fare legislation.
I watched a revenue block today and there were 8 RPI standing at the entrance.
I saw 2 guys being sold tickets but no PFN was given.
Without much more information being provided, I can only assume this was correct. Do you have the information regarding what station they commenced their journey at, and what ticket issuing facilities were available at that station? If not, I don't see how we can have a discussion about it.
I think its also the way people behave and show respect to the RPI.
One RPI asked very well dressed ladies clutching designer bags if they had a ticket!
okay...
I do feel that the location and area make a big difference in attitudes.
Very affluent areas esp near the Wentworth Estate are hardly the places you have fare dodgers, and some of the cars parked at the station are 80K!
You can still have fare dodgers travelling to/from such loactions, but I thought this thread was about selling tickets & penalty fares, rather than allegations fare dodging (which would result in prosecution).
For a guard having to juggle safety critical operations which are paramount with revenue duties, it may be easier to collect the fare.
Absolutely, which is why SWT Guards are not authorised Penalty Fare collectors.
 

BestWestern

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Impressions of wealth most certainly do not eliminate the possibility of fare evasion. You could, however, perhaps argue that ticket fraud is more likely than outright 'fare dodging' with this demographic. Recent cases have included a well paid chap who was pulling a short faring/Oyster stunt and ended up repaying £30k or so in fares; he was employed in the legal profession I believe, and is far from the only example. Indeed, the revenue staff would be deployed elsewhere if it wasn't felt that there was some level of lost revenue risk at whatever location they are posted to.
 

island

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Even those members of staff who are Authorised Collectors should in certain circumstances apply their discretion to just issue a ticket and not a Penalty Fare.
 

swt_passenger

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SO SWT are found to be operating exactly as expected under both the DfT rules, and their own fairly well known division of responsibility between guards and RPIs.

Why was this ever posted in the disputes section anyway?
 

Merseysider

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I'm not quite sure if this thread is praise, criticism, or somewhere in between. Could you clarify? All it does is confirm there are a range of situations with different appropriate outcomes.
 
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