Association relies on deterrence for fare evasion
The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) does not want to decriminalize fare evasion. In Wiesbaden, driving without a valid ticket in the city's public transport company will no longer be reported to the police in future following a vote in the city parliament. Against this backdrop, the VDV announced that fare evasion results in a loss of revenue for transport companies throughout Germany amounting to around 300 million euros per year, which must be compensated for by honest customers or taxpayers. The association therefore considers a deterrent effect to be "important and sensible".
The city of Frankfurt does not want to follow Wiesbaden's example for the time being, as the mobility department announced. "However, we view the initiative from Wiesbaden rather critically because we are hoping for a uniform approach - at least together with our partners in RMV, but preferably nationwide," said the department.
Despite the proposed change in Wiesbaden, ongoing traffic within public transport systems in Germany continues to be impacted by frequent cases of fare evasion. This trend calls for a deepened emphasis on justice, as the annual loss of 300 million euros due to fare evasion heavily affects both transport companies and public funds.
Source: www.dpa.com
