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Fare dodgers cost public transport companies €16m a year
Belgium
12:53 13/09/2013
Fare dodging costs public transport companies STIB, TEC and De Lijn a total of €16.5m in 2012, according to figures released today by L’Echo. STIB is the most affected, with a shortfall of more than €11m. The Brussels public transport company suffers an fare-dodging rate of 4.5%, the highest by far; this official figure, however, is well below the actual rate, since surveys suggest that 12 to 15% of passengers admit to fare-dodging. For Walloon operator TEC, the fare-dodging rate is 0.95% and causes a loss of revenue of €1.2 million, while in Flanders De Lijn the rate is about 3%, representing an annual shortfall of €4.29m.
Comments
I wonder how they get to these figures.
I am not aware that Stib or any of the others are actually counting everyone entering the tram, metro or bus. Even if they do, they will never know if they had a ticket (monthly or so) and just forgot it.
The only real way to find out would be to check everyone. That would probably cost 10 times of what they lose on dodgers.
And as pensioners now have to pay for their fares they must be laughing themselves to sleep.
I hope this is no surprise to anyone. I can easily be the only one getting on a STIB tram that actually registers my ticket in the machines. Systematic of the culture?
There are certain areas in the city where every weekday I see people dodging fares. And do i ever see stib controlling tickets there? Never. But go to a place like Schuman, and you will see 50 agents controlling tickets. Just Belgian efficiency as always.