The reason I'm asking these questions about the procedure for issuing and payment of PFs is that I have read stories of passengers who are offered a PF, which for various reasons isn't paid there and then, and the whole thing ends up being escalated to a prosecution. I imagine that some of these escalations could be avoided if there was better explanation of a passenger's rights, responsibilities and likely outcomes when the PF was issued.
SCENARIO 1.
RPI "Tickets please!... I'm afraid you can't use that ticket on this train. You see it says GRT ANG TRNS ONLY? That means "Greater Anglia trains only" and means that you can only use it on the white Greater Anglia trains that go to Liverpool Street, not the purple FCC ones that go to Kings Cross"
Passenger "But I it says "London" on it and the man on the platform told me that this was the London train."
RPI "Sorry, but I'm still going to have to charge you. You aren't allowed to use that ticket on this train. The Penalty Fare is £42.40 but if you haven't got enough money you can just pay the price of a new ticket for £21.20 and they'll send you a bill for the rest. If you think that I'm being unfair then you can appeal when you get the bill and, if that's the case, you will get a refund."
Passenger "Listen, it's not my fault. The man on the platform said it was OK"
RPI "If you don't pay anything now then it'll go to the Prosecutions Department and you could end up going to Court for traveling without a valid ticket and end up having to pay a big fine. If I were you I'd pay the Penalty Fare now and appeal if you think that you are being treated unfairly."
Passenger "OK then. Doesn't look like I've got much choice. I've only got £25 in my wallet. I'll pay the price of a new ticket"
RPI "OK. I'll need your name and address to send the bill for the rest of the money to. I've got to tell you that you that it's criminal offence to give false details and that anyone who does could end up with a criminal record."
SCENARIO 2.
RPI "Tickets please!... I'm afraid you can't use that ticket on this train. You see it says GRT ANG TRNS ONLY. This train is operated by First Capital Connect."
Passenger "But I it says "London" on it and the man on the platform told me that this was the London train."
RPI "Sorry, but I'm still going to have to charge you. You aren't allowed to use that ticket on this train. The Penalty Fare is £42.40."
Passenger "Listen, it's not my fault. The man on the platform said it was OK"
RPI "The Penalty Fare is £42.40 are you going to pay it now or not?"
Passenger fumbles through near-empty wallet "No I'm not"
RPI "OK. I'll need your name and address then and you'll be hearing from our Revenue Protection Department" ... and the passenger gets a prosecution letter in the post.
I'd hope what happens in practice is more like 1 than 2, but in some cases we've heard about it isn't always.
Maybe someone should write a brief summary of what a passenger's best course of action is if issued with a Penalty Fare? Moneysavingexpert.com have done a similar thing for parking fines - a small card that can be downloaded, printed out and kept in your car. I found this article from the Evening Standard (2009) but it's hardly brief and I haven't checked that what is says is 100% correct.
www.standard.co.uk/news/10-ways-to-avoid-penalty-fares-on-trains-6762684.html
Any volunteers?