Tram fare dodge penalty to increase to £120


People travelling on Nottingham's tram network without a valid ticket will be issued with an increased fine from next month

Tram operator Nottingham Express Transit (NET) is set to increase penalties for fare dodgers to £120.

Passengers caught riding without a valid ticket or pass receive a "no questions asked" fine and from 1 May it will increase from £70 to £120, travel bosses said.

The operator said more than 10,000 people were caught travelling without a valid ticket in 2025.

NET said it wanted to reaffirm its "zero tolerance" approach and added fare evasion was "theft".

Penalties will be reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days, NET said.

Bosses said an unpaid penalty leaves the passenger liable for prosecution with a further fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record.

Tim Hesketh, CEO at NET said: "We're all aware that if you're caught shoplifting you would expect to be prosecuted, so similarly, anyone caught travelling without a valid ticket – which is a crime – should expect to be treated accordingly.

"The last time we increased the cost of a PFN was five years ago, and while the cost of a PFN is much higher now, there are also more options available due to the early payment discount.

"Just like most of the public who pay for their ticket and use the trams properly, we want to ensure that our network is safe to use, and reducing fare dodging is part of that."

Hesketh added signs were located on each tram stop to assist people in how to buy a ticket before boarding and that each ticket purchased helped to improve the network.