More commuters on the Werribee line catch a train without paying than on any other line in Melbourne, new data reveals.
Latest fare evasion statistics from Public Transport Victoria reveal that 3.4 per cent of Werribee line users are travelling without a valid ticket.
The Alamein-Glen Waverley line had the lowest level of fare evasion on the network, with just two per cent of passengers not paying their way.
Overall, fare evasion on the train network is at 2.7 per cent.
Public Transport Victoria said while some Werribee line commuters were still opting to travel without a valid ticket, fare evasion on the line had dropped from eight per cent in May 2014.
“It’s extremely positive that customers on the Werribee line are now paying their way, demonstrating that PTV’s efforts to reduce fare evasion are working,” a spokeswoman said. “The chance of getting caught without a valid ticket continues to increase – more than 13 million tickets have been checked since July last year.”
The spokeswoman said the fare evasion survey helped PTV determine where to target its operations. The survey is carried out over four weeks in May and October.
Higher levels of fare evasion were recorded on Wyndham’s bus network where PTV-authorised officers found 8.7 per cent of passengers using buses at Werribee Plaza did not have a valid ticket.
Fare evasion costs the public transport network about $38 million a year.
