Fare evaders caught on camera

Seven News has in its possession footage of fare evaders on our public transport system but, while it remains a costly business, there are some positive developments.

Fare evasion is becoming rarer.

New figures show that the number of people dodging fares more than halved in 3 years.

In our footage, we have covered the faces of the fare evaders at the request of Sydney Trains, which is a pity because their faces said so much.

Some are nonchalant, like one young man, who vaulted the turnstile and glidesd through, while others did it in front of a crowd without a care in the world.

In one case, a schoolgirl slipped through with ease while her male friend, almost comically, had to work up the courage before he clumsily jumped the turnstile.

Others, like a group of teenagers, could not stop giggling.

But it is not funny to the man responsible for New South Wales finances, transport minister Andrew Constance.

This year, fare evasion has cost tax payers $80million.

"They're idiots because they're shortchanging everyone from getting a better service," said Constance.

Seven News joined some of the rail network's 190 transport officers on the beat and armed with Opal Card scanners.

Most people passed, some did not.

The problem, however, is not as endemic as it once was.

Fare dodging has decreased since 2012 by more than half - from 11 per cent to just over five.

There have been improvements across all transport types but the biggest by far has been on buses: where once 15 out of every hundred commuters were dodging, now, there are just 5.

On trains, the Eastern Suburbs line had the best record with nearly 97 per cent compliance.

The worst performers were the Bankstown and Carlingford lines.

"You know, you're not ripping off the government, you're ripping off the community," said transport minister, Constance.

The statistics also define fare evasion as people who use concession cards when they're not entitled to and passengers who travel further than their ticket allows.

'Opal' has helped cut that final category dramatically.