The NMBS caught no fewer than 497,000 fare dodgers last year. N-VA criticizes a number that is an underestimate of the real number. According to the opposition party, entrance gates on the platforms could be a solution. NMBS does not immediately reject the proposal, but points out the “investment costs associated with it”.
In 2023, the NMBS detected 497,000 fare dodges. This led to 55,387 administrative fines imposed on the basis of ‘an infringement ticket’. In the other cases an amicable settlement was proposed on the spot. This is evident from figures that N-VA MP Tomas Roggeman requested from Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo).
The NMBS estimates that the loss it suffers from fare evasion amounts to 26 million euros. “But the actual figure is even much higher,” says Roggeman. “Train conductors sometimes shy away from detecting fare evasion. You can’t blame them for that, given the growing aggression problems in recent years. But NMBS has a large financial crater and is missing out on a lot of income due to fare evasion.”
N-VA therefore advocates installing access gates in the large, most fraud-sensitive stations. “Good against fare dodging and therefore also the best prevention of aggression against train conductors. The research into the installation of gates in Brussels North, Central and South was already carried out by the previous government,” says Roggeman. The idea is not new, but the proposal is said to have encountered “political unwillingness” in the past.
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Investment cost
NMBS does not immediately reject the idea, but points out the challenges. “To achieve this, all transport tickets must first be digitized,” NMBS spokesperson Bart Crols responded to our editorial office. “The consequences for traveler flows must also be examined. And of course there is also an investment cost involved.”
N-VA MP Roggeman refutes the investment cost as a counterargument. “If NMBS can recover part of the 26 million lost income per year, this investment will pay for itself in a few years.” The railway company is aware of the large number of fare dodgers and says it is strongly committed to checks to catch fare dodgers.
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