Regulatory and operational control

Control of economic regulation and service-contract conditions is clearly the responsibility of the respective public-sector institutions charged with their introduction. However enforcement of other relevant passenger transport regulations, such as vehicle loading and driving hours, is an agency function that may be sub-contracted in part to the private sector. Even in these cases, though, powers to stop vehicles and imposition of any penalties may require the involvement of the police.

This having been said, enforcement of fares payment may often prove more problematic and sometimes an imaginative approach is required for operators to obtain the necessary powers. Fare evasion is generally seen by the police as an insignificant offence in terms of the individual sums involved, and so may be given a low priority. Further, the public authorities may often be reluctant to prosecute an offender and any consequent sanctions may prove far from deterrent. Unfortunately, though, a small but visible number of fare evaders will soon grow to be a large number, and clearly the cumulative impact can prove devastating to the transport system.

Suggested strategies in support of effective enforcement include making payment of the correct fare an explicit condition of carriage, providing the operator with the legal authority to apply a penalty to anyone found to be traveling without having made the appropriate payment, making the non-payment of that penalty a criminal offence, allowing operators to bring such cases to the courts, and making the sanction significant in monetary terms. To make the last factor truly effective may also require the escalation of penalties for repeated offences.