London leverages data-driven approach to combat fare evasion

Transport for London (TfL) has expanded its efforts to reduce fare evasion by increasing its team of investigators and deploying advanced data analysis tools.

Central to this strategy is the Irregular Travel Analysis Platform (ITAP), which uses journey and ticketing data to identify fare evaders and optimise enforcement efforts across the network. This expansion not only aims to recover lost revenue but also to improve resource allocation and increase efficiency in managing fare evasion across TfL services.

“We’ve seen significant benefits from using ITAP, as it allows us to target fare evaders more effectively,” a TfL spokesperson told Cities Today. “By analysing ticketing and journey data, we can identify the individuals who are causing the greatest revenue loss, which enables us to prioritise enforcement actions and recover funds more efficiently.”

ITAP works by analysing travel patterns, including the use of contactless payment cards, concession passes, and irregular travel behaviours. Data is anonymised to protect privacy, with personal information only accessed when necessary for further investigation.

“We use tokenised versions of payment and Oyster cards, meaning we can track irregularities without compromising individual privacy,” the spokesperson explained. “Once an anomaly is detected, we may access personal information linked to registered cards to initiate follow-up actions, such as email notifications or further investigations.”

This data-driven approach has already yielded positive results. In 2023, TfL prosecuted 360 prolific fare evaders on the London Underground, recovering more than £400,000 in lost revenue. The expanded investigations team, which has now broadened its focus to include the Elizabeth line and the London Overground, will continue using ITAP to identify and target the most persistent offenders.

“The use of data enables us to allocate resources more precisely,” said the TfL spokesperson. “Instead of taking a broad approach, we can now focus our efforts on individuals who are most likely to contribute to significant revenue losses. This not only ensures more effective enforcement but also allows us to reduce the impact of fare evasion on our overall revenue stream.”

In comparison, fare evasion rates in other major cities highlight the challenge TfL is tackling. In New York, the metro system’s fare evasion rate sits at 13 percent, which if occurred in London would translate to an estimated £400 million in lost revenue each year.

“This is why data-driven enforcement strategies are so crucial,” the spokesperson noted. “With ITAP, we can detect patterns that would otherwise go unnoticed and target enforcement where it will have the greatest financial impact.”

The expanded team, which complements the more than 500 uniformed officers already deployed across the network, is part of a wider push to use technology for real-time, intelligence-led enforcement.

“The data we gather from ITAP not only supports investigations but also informs deployment decisions for enforcement teams,” the spokesperson added. “We can quickly identify emerging trends and adapt our strategies to ensure we are targeting the areas with the highest levels of fare evasion.”

Image: Henrik Le-Botos | Dreamstime.com