Drivers paid to foil fare dodgers

Lothian Buses crackdown on fare dodgers

Bus drivers in Edinburgh are being paid to catch fare dodgers who use fake travel cards and passes.

Lothian Buses pays between £10 and £25 to drivers who manage to foil passenger attempts to ride for free on its buses.

However, some passengers, have criticised the scheme, which they believe should already be part of the drivers' jobs.

Lothian Buses said it was an incentive as part of a crackdown to tackle the amount of fraudulent tickets used.

Surely part of each driver's job is to look out for dodgy tickets? Paul Johnston Bus passenger

Lothian Buses drivers, who are some of the highest paid in the profession in Scotland, are given £10 for an out-of-date daysaver ticket, £25 for catching someone who has used another person's travel card and £25 for a fraudulent daysaver ticket.

The company said one driver a week was paid for catching a ticket offender in the capital.

List of prices

Paul Johnston, from Dunfermline, who works in Edinburgh as a police career development administrator, said he was "angry" when he read the reminder beside the driver's cabin with the list of prices.

"Surely part of each driver's job is to look out for dodgy tickets?

"It angers me that they are some of the highest paid drivers but the company feels the need to pay an incentive.

"It is as if the company has had a problem with drivers turning a blind eye.

"It is so unnecessary. It would be like me being paid to report incidents of crime in my job. If I see a crime I report it, I don't need incentives."

A Lothian Buses spokesman said drivers are paid on production of the confiscated ticket.

"We are trying to stamp out the use of fraudulent tickets. It is an incentive for drivers to look out for them.

"This is a reward to drivers for catching someone."