'I'll crack down on fare dodgers and barrier jumpers', says Lib Dem London mayor prospect

Résumé détaillé

Sarah Olney accused Mayor of London Lord Sadiq Khan of being ‘asleep at the wheel on fare dodging’

A politician vying to take Lord Sadiq Khan on at the next mayoral election has pledged to crackdown on fare dodgers and barrier jumpers on London’s transport network.

Sarah Olney, in the running to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for the 2028 election, said she would carry out a review to “reveal the true scale of fare evasion” in the capital if elected.

The MP for Richmond Park said she would also install “more secure gates” in a bid to make it harder for travel cheats to break through the barrier and use London’s public transport without paying.

She accused Lord Khan, the Labour Mayor of London, of being “asleep at the wheel on fare dodging”.

“Leaving gates open and unstaffed is a kick in the teeth for the vast majority of Londoners who are forced to pay the bill for those cheating the system,” said Mrs Olney.

“As mayor, I would commission an independent review to reveal the true scale of fare evasion and pilot new, more secure gates to get a grip on the issue.”

Mrs Olney has demanded an independent audit of how the network estimates fare evasion as part of a six-point plan to reduce fare dodging.

She claimed the problem is particularly bad on the tram network, across the neighbourhoods of Croydon, Sutton and Wimbledon.

Transport for London (TfL) has insisted it is working towards meeting its target of an evasion rate of no more than 1.5%.

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