TICKETS, PLEASE: Transit officers on the job for CityRail.
NEW CityRail ticket gates being introduced across the network will reduce blatant fare evasion, forcing commuters to buy tickets before using the rail network, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian said this week.
As part of the Fixing the Trains overhaul of RailCorp, ticket gates are being upgraded across the rail network with new electronic processor boards, electronic gate motors and customer display screens.
The improvements include replacing the ageing manual gate motors with new electronic motors that automatically open and close the gate paddles, meaning the gate paddles cannot be 'pushed back' by customers avoiding paying for a ticket.
New customer display screens being installed on the ticket gates will also assist staff and customers to read the validity of tickets and display easy-to-read messages for customers such as 'ticket captured'.
Customers who choose not to buy a ticket risk an on-the-spot fine of $200 if they are caught.
In the past 12 months, RailCorp has issued almost 70,000 fare-related infringement notices - about 190 a day.