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Metro: Soon even higher fines to combat fraud

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The Editor

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In mid-February, Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) launched a huge plan to tackle fraud in transportation, which was picked up this week by RATP. The plan includes increased checks and a rise in fines, which are currently considered not strong enough to deter offenders. So, there will be new, much stricter measures that are set to be implemented before summer.

50€. Until now, this was the fine for riding the metro, RER, or bus without a valid ticket. It's quite a hefty amount, representing 20 to 25 trips depending on your travel mode. However, for Jean Castex, the president of RATP, this is far from enough to combat the rampant fare evasion in Paris and its surroundings.


All Against Fraud

In recent months, waging war on those traveling without paying for their ticket has become the number one goal for the various transport companies in the Île-de-France region. On one hand, Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), led by Valérie Pécresse, aims to halve the number of fare evaders by 2025, reducing the rate from 8% to 4%. To achieve this, they have implemented measures and initiatives that focus on enforcement and promoting ticket purchases.

a massive operation of "continuous checks" on the metro, bus, RER, and tram lines most affected by the phenomenon.

On the other hand, the RATP has just announced that it's joining the fight through another means: money. A strong argument, which will involve a significant increase in the price of fines. To keep it simple, Jean Castex announced an additional 20€ charge for all ticket dodgers, which means 70€ if the fine is paid directly on the spot during the check, and up to 120€ if it's paid late. Remember, according to RATP data, nearly 60% of the travelers who are fined pay immediately.


Urgent measures

So why suddenly kick things into high gear to tackle this issue? It's simply because right now, these little scamps who love... Jumping over the turnstiles or boarding the bus through the back door costs IDFM a whopping 700 million euros every year, which is almost double what was reported just about ten years ago. There are particularly many fraudsters on buses and trams, which lack turnstiles at the entrance, where controls will therefore be focused.

For now, though, nothing is official yet, and the increases desired by Jean Castex and the RATP are just temporary because, even though operators are free to set their fines, they still require a bit of thought as outlined by the transport code. The president of the Paris transport agency remains hopeful that these new rates will be approved soon enough to take effect before summer. So you still have a couple of months to sign up for Liberté+!