Perth commuters slapped with $1 million in fines for not tagging on SmartRider during free bus, train periods

“Free” public transport travel programs designed to reduce the cost of living are ironically proving costly for commuters, who have been slapped with more than $1 million in fines for failing to tag on their SmartRider. More than 13,000 bus and train passengers have been hit with $100 fines for failing to tag on in the last year, according to new figures from the Public Transport Authority. Free travel on Sundays is catching out more than 130 people each weekend on average, while almost 4000 students have been hit with fines as well while travelling to and from school. Under the Labor travel programs — on Sundays and for students commuting on weekdays — users are required to tag on with their SmartRider. All other riders are charged a standard fare. Since the free travel started in February, 3972 teenagers have been given a ticket for travelling on the Transperth network without tagging on with their SmartRider — a fine of $100. On “free” Sundays, 5276 infringements have been handed out to public transport users for failing to tag on too. Those fines were handed out despite the Government regularly spruiking the programs as a cost-of-living measure designed to save families money. Coming on top of the almost 4000 fines handed out to passengers during the free-fare summer last year, the State Government has slapped passengers with more than $1.3 million in fines. In a hearing on Wednesday, Government minister Jackie Jarvis said the fines over summer exceeded the government’s expectations. “Whilst conditions were clearly articulated in the media, some passengers did not realise that free transport was contingent by using the SmartRider system,” Ms Jarvis said. Asked later on in the hearing about the fines, Ms Jarvis said the reason rides were only free for SmartRider users were to ensure statistics were captured, and for security purposes. “The statistics would be linked to obviously knowing whether you need to put more busses on. If you don’t know how many people are using a particular service, then it’s very hard to plan into the future as to where future bus routes were needed,” she said. In a statement, a PTA spokeswoman said the SmartRider condition was “clearly shown” in all communications regarding these initiatives “This enables the PTA to continue collating patronage data which influences various important business metrics that keep Perth’s public transport network running effectively, including knowing when services are at capacity .... (and) if there is a security issue,” she said. The spokeswoman said the State Government used the SmartRider data to track the effectiveness of the free transport schemes, and whether similar schemes would be rolled out in the future. Asked on Thursday if the Government was considering a repeat summer of free public transport this year — after the opening of the Morley-Ellenbrook Line and ahead of the State election — Transport Minister Rita Saffioti was coy. “We continually monitor everything,” she said. “We’re a nimble, active government that continually monitors how families are going, but more generally, also how the finances are going, to make sure we’re responsible government that supports families.”