Hucknall and Bulwell tram fare dodgers face penalties up to £1,000 in December crackdown

The action will see an increased presence of plain-clothed officers at tram stops and on trams across the network to reinforce the message that fare evasion is theft.

From December 4, anyone caught travelling without a valid ticket or pass will be handed a ‘no questions asked’ £70 penalty fare notice (PFN) which, if left unpaid, leaves the recipient liable for prosecution, with a further fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record next to their name.

This year alone, NET has issued 7,682 PFNs and prosecuted 2,580 customers that refused to pay their PFN with next month’s upcoming campaign set to clamp down further on those who travel without a ticket.

Sarah Turner, service delivery and safety director at NET, said: “Many people may think it’s harmless to skip the tram fares when travelling on the trams but the fact is, if you travel without a valid ticket then it is theft and could result in a criminal record which can show up on DBS checks against your name for up to 11 years.

"This can have real implications especially for students and those in paid employment.

“Our new campaign will also aim to tackle those who choose to walk away, thinking they can get away with it.

"All our trams and stops have plenty of CCTV which, as well as keeping our customers safe, makes it far easier to spot and call out anyone that’s guilty of travelling without a pass, especially when partnered with our increased presence on the ground from next month."

NET operates a ‘buy before you board’ policy which means all tram users must purchase a ticket before boarding.

Tickets can be purchased from the ticket machines located at each tram stop, with passengers able to pay by card, cash, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Or, for a more convenient option, tram users can purchase tickets through the NETGO! App which can be downloaded from the Apple App store or Google Play.

Alternatively, contactless payment is also available by tapping a debit or credit card at the start of the journey on the lime green validators located at the end of tram platforms across the network.

Tram users will only need to tap on at the start of the journey, and they’ll only be charged the maximum adult daily fare.

Sarah added: “Of course, we do recognise that there are some who genuinely make a mistake by purchasing the wrong ticket.

"As such, in the run-up to December we’ll also be reminding customers of best practice when using the trams, so the majority who are honest can ensure they’re not caught out by not knowing short-hop zones, for example, or for not following procedure for validating their concessionary travel cards correctly.”

To increase accessibility, NET has also partnered with Widgit to create easy to understand guides to using the trams using specialist symbols and images, to help those who may struggle to travel independently or may not speak English.

These can be collected from travel centres, downloaded from the website or accessed via QR codes at every tram stop.