Transport for London has its own extensive process for dealing with fare evasion across its transport network. Its robust approach to penalties and prosecutions has resulted in 14,406 criminal convictions for fare evasion between April 2025 and March 2026.
With several distinct rules and regulations in play alongside the standard legal framework, knowing your rights and responsibilities is key to ensuring a favourable outcome.
At Manak Solicitors, we take a bespoke approach to each case, using the individual circumstances of your situation to inform our strategy and determine the most appropriate course of action.
This tailored approach to fare evasion has enabled us to achieve consistent results for our clients, with 75% of our cases involving Transport for London not going to court between 2021 and 2024.
Whatever stage your case has reached, our team can evaluate the circumstances and provide you with the guidance and representation needed to help you make informed decisions.
Transport for London takes an active and vigilant approach to identifying instances of fare evasion across its network, with Enforcement Officers carrying out ticket and payment checks both on services and at stations.
If you’re found to be travelling without a valid ticket or payment for your journey, an Enforcement Officer will consider the circumstances before determining the next course of action. This may involve issuing a Penalty Fare or submitting an Irregularity Report to the Appeals and Prosecutions team for further review.
Where an Irregularity Report is submitted, the circumstances of your case will be reviewed individually in line with Transport for London’s enforcement policy. At this stage, you’ll be given the opportunity to provide any evidence or supporting information regarding your case, which will then be factored into the review.
Depending on the circumstances, Transport for London may decide to:
- Take no further action
- Issue a formal warning
- Pursue prosecution
If a case proceeds to prosecution, you may receive a Single Justice Procedure Notice detailing the offence you’ve been charged with and requiring you to respond. You will usually have 21 days to respond by entering a guilty or not guilty plea.
If you choose to plead guilty, you can choose whether to attend the Magistrates’ Court or have the case decided based on the information provided to the court. If you plead not guilty, your case will be referred for a hearing at the Magistrates’ Court.
Fare evasion offences can result in a criminal conviction and financial penalties of up to £1,000 if found guilty. This makes it vital that you thoroughly read any correspondence from Transport for London and correctly follow all required steps throughout the process.
At Manak Solicitors, we assess all the circumstances relevant to your case before advising you on the best options available and making contact with Transport for London where appropriate. While our approach aims to resolve all matters without the need for court proceedings where possible, we’ll also provide you with expert legal representation and a robust defence should your case proceed to court.
