Overground & Jubilee line passengers take brunt of fines

OYSTER card users failing to ‘touch-out’ at stations in Brent were hit with an extra �1.25 million in charges last year.

Commuters using the Overground suffered the most, accounting for �657,000 of the overpayments, with the Jubilee Line charging an extra �458,000.

Passengers are charged the maximum fare of �7.40 if a card is not swiped twice for every journey made even if the card reader does not work or the ticket gates left open.

Wembley Park Tube station was the borough’s worst case with overpayments reaching �164,000.

Cllr Daniel Brown, Liberal Democrat spokesman for transport, said: “This is just ridiculous. I can’t believe Boris is able to overcharge like this, especially on the Jubilee Line with all the problems it’s had.

“I think the mayor needs to take a long, hard look at the system as it’s clearly ripping people who live or work in Brent.”

The shocking figures, obtained by Caroline Pigeon, Lib Dem London Assembly Group leader, revealed overcharging occurred at every station in London and happened 14 million times across the capital.

A TfL spokeswoman said: “We have maximum fares in place to ensure customers validate their journeys or we would be open to widespread fare evasion across our network.

“Clearly any passenger who believes they have been incorrectly charged a maximum fare should contact us to apply for a refund via the Oyster helpline or station ticket offices.”