More than $1.4 million worth of fines were issued to passengers on the Hunter's main public transport services in the past 12 months.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Transport for NSW fines data shows the extent of efforts to curb fare evasion across the Newcastle Transport network and the region's train lines from last June to the end of May.
It comes after the Herald revealed earlier this month the staggering cost of fare evasion, which included $817,000 in lost revenue on Newcastle buses in a year.
The data shows the amount of fines and cautions issued to passengers for not having a valid ticket, misusing concession entitlements and behaviour-related incidents.
On the Hunter train line, which has the worst fare compliance rate of any intercity or metropolitan line at 86.4 per cent, authorities issued 1803 fines and 874 cautions to passengers for not having a valid ticket.
They also issued 164 fines and 230 cautions for concession misuse, and 39 fines and seven cautions for behaviour.
Previous data showed fare evasion on the line represented $351,000 in lost revenue over a year.
On the Central Coast and Newcastle line, which has a fare compliance rate of 93.7 per cent, authorities issued 4527 fines and 3642 cautions for no valid ticket, 1016 fines and 1751 cautions for concession misuse, and 149 fines and 23 cautions for behaviour incidents.
Fare evasion on the line cost more than $4.2 million in lost revenue in a year.
On Newcastle buses, authorities issued 60 fines and 42 cautions for no valid ticket, 75 fines and 106 cautions for concession misuse and only two fines for behaviour.
On the Stockton ferry, 11 fines and 35 cautions were issued for no valid ticket, and two fines and eight cautions for concession misuse.
Newcastle light rail, which launched in mid-February, appeared to have a grace period as authorities handed out only three fines for no valid ticket and 78 cautions.
No fines were issued for concession misuse but there were 19 cautions.
The total dollar amount of fines was not given for specific transport modes, but rather the type of fine.
No valid ticket fines issued across the Newcastle Transport network and the two train lines totalled $1.14 million. Concession misuse fines totalled $211,000 and behaviour $60,000.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said while most public transport users were doing the right thing, fare evasion in NSW cost taxpayers $83 million in 2018.
"More than 800 authorised officers and police are deployed across the network and those caught travelling without a valid ticket or travelling using a concession ticket without being in possession of a proof of entitlement card may be issued with a $200 fine," he said.
