Victorian government to scrap ‘on the spot’ Myki fines

‘On the spot’ fines will be scrapped on Victoria’s public transport system and authorised officers will be given extra resources to catch repeat fare evaders.

The Andrews Government has announced sweeping changes to the fare enforcement system after an ombudsman’s report found the current system costly and unfair.

On the spot $75 fines were introduced in 2014 but led to hundreds of complaints.

As part of the changes, people caught without a valid Myki – but with a good travel record – will receive a warning rather than fine.

Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said ticket inspectors will be able to check a travellers history to know if they are repeat offenders.

‘Consistent and repeat fare evaders are a very small proportion of public transport users, but make up 68 per cent of all fare revenue lost,’ she said.

‘They’re the ones we want to target and crackdown on ? those who thumb their nose at the system.’