CUT-PRICE fare evader fines aimed at filling government coffers quicker has backfired, with only one in four paying the $75 on-the-spot penalty.

Instead, ticket pests are gambling with a $217 infringement notice sent in the mail, in the belief they will get away without having to pay it.

Ticket inspectors nabbed 73,148 fare dodgers in August, September and October this year and 55,449 chose the infringement notice $212 penalty.

Only 17,699 freeloaders paid the $75 on-the-spot fine.

The discounted fines, which started on August 10, were introduced to speed up enforcement, catch more cheats and get cash in government pockets quicker.

An extra 70 ticket inspectors have been employed to catch more fare cheats riding trains, buses and trams.

Some 49,037 people paid a total of $10.4 million in fare evasion fines in the same three months last year.

Fare cheats were collectively fined $13.08 million in August, September and October this year.

Public Transport Victoria spokesman Adrian Darwent said ticket inspectors checking an extra 400,000 mykis per month was behind the increase in fines.

He said the percentage of people being fined compared with tickets checked had dropped to 2.08 per cent.

“With more checks more often, more authorised officers and new penalty fares, if you chose to freeload it’s no longer a case of if you’ll get caught, but when,” Mr Darwent said.

media_camera Inspectors nabbed 73,148 fare dodgers in three months.

The roll out of the on-the-spot penalties was delayed by several months after the Rail, Tram and Bus Union battled the former Government to scrap cash collection as part of the system.

Those caught can now pay the $75 by credit or debit card.

RTBU branch secretary Luba Grigorovitch labelled the on-the-spot fine scheme a failure and said if the take-up rate did not improve within 12 months, she would call for it to be scrapped.

“I am told that the main reason for not paying fares on-the-spot is because the travelling public ignorantly think that if they are posted the fine they won’t have to pay,” Ms Grigorovitch said.

“The high number of evaders is a clear indication that we need more authorised officers across the system. This would be a far more effective means of preventing genuine fare evasion than the on-the-spot penalty fare model.”

Those challenging fines can opt for a hearing in the Magistrates’ Court, but not a single case has proceeded to a contested hearing. Advice given to the department has been that a successful prosecution is unlikely because of issues with the trouble-plagued myki system, including admin errors, damaged cards and incorrect readings.

A government risk assessment said on-the-spot penalties could be scrapped if fine revenue decreased from commuters taking “calculated” risks.

BY THE NUMBERS

August, September, October 2014

$75: 17,699 fines, $1.33 million

$212: 55,449 fines, $11.75 million

Total: 73,148 fines, $13.08 million

Tickets checked: 3,398,657

August, September, October 2013

$212: 49,037 fines, $10.4 million

Tickets checked: 2,034,105

aleks.devic@news.com.au

Twitter: @AleksDevic