One million dollars a month was lost due to passengers on buses in the eastern suburbs avoiding their fares from June to December 2017, new Transport for NSW data reveals.

Sydney public and private bus operators lost about $17.7 million in revenue due to fare fudging passengers in the second half of 2017, up $4 million on the same period in 2016 and about $5 million more than the six months prior.

Recent losses were driven by the eastern suburbs area where rates of people minimising the amount they pay to ride the bus rose from about 4 per cent in May 2016 to almost 10 per cent of passengers in November 2017.

Buses in the eastern suburbs are losing millions due to passengers evading fares, unlike the good citizens in this photo. Credit:Louie Douvis

The number of people estimated to be paying for the right ticket on public transport in Sydney declined on buses and trams but increased on trains and ferries in the six months to December 2017. The estimates are derived from a survey conducted every six months (in May and November) by a market research company that takes a representative sample of fare evasions to extrapolate across the network.