Fare evasion is booming in Dresden: ticket controls should help!

Fare evasion is booming in Dresden: ticket controls should help!

In recent years, the fare evasion situation in Dresden has become significantly worse. According to the Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe (DVB), the rate of passengers without a ticket rose to around five percent - a doubling compared to the times before the pandemic, when this rate was only around 2.5 to 3 percent. One of the reasons for this increase could have been the sparse controls during the pandemic, as Falk Lösch, press spokesman for DVB, explains. He emphasizes that more controls and visible personnel are necessary to get the situation under control. Rising ticket prices are not the main reason for the increase, as there are certainly cheap offers such as social tickets.

Another critic of the current situation is Lukas Iffländer from the Probahn passenger association. He sees the Germany-wide ticket as a possible trigger for the high number of fare evaders. Iffländer has the impression that controls have noticeably decreased recently. The situation is similar in Magdeburg: There, too, the transport companies report a slight increase in fare evasion and have carried out control marathons, which, however, have not shown any lasting success. In the fight against fare evasion, the transport companies rely on uniformed control personnel to convey a feeling of security.

Fare evasion costs the city money

The financial impact is significant for Dresden. Every year the city loses around five million euros in revenue due to fare evasion. Falk Lösch emphasizes that this lost income puts a strain on municipal finances and could flow into other important projects such as expanding railway tracks or building new schools.

Invalid Germany tickets and half-knowledgeable people

An additional problem could be invalid Germany tickets. Reports of travelers unknowingly traveling with tickets from the potentially dubious provider D-Ticket.su are increasing. These tickets were actually invalid after the crypto key used to sign them was revoked. Customers who relied on this now have to expect fines of 60 euros because they are unknowingly considered fare evaders. D-Ticket offered its tickets at extremely attractive conditions, which, however, did not correspond to the usual subscription conditions. The company is now being cited as an example of fake shops, which only increases passengers' concerns.

More and more people seem to be unwittingly finding themselves in the role of fare evaders while transport companies struggle to find a solution. The resulting difficulties show how important it is for passengers to check the validity of their tickets and consider possible complications with payment service providers. At a time when mobility is more important than ever for many people, the issue of fare evasion remains an urgent problem. Undoubtedly, improving controls and raising awareness about ticket providers could bring about a positive change.

The situation in the cities is exciting to observe because it addresses a larger problem with public transport in Germany. How long can fare evasion continue to be ignored, and what measures will ultimately be taken to ensure driving with a valid ticket?

All that remains for passengers is to be careful and ensure that they are traveling with a correct ticket to avoid unnecessary fines and hassle.