Fare Evasion
What kinds of actions constitute subway fare evasion?
- “Subway fare evasion” refers to any act that consists of using a subway without paying the requisite fare.
- Despite ongoing enforcement efforts and campaigns, subway fare evasions are not only increasing but becoming more varied and creative. Some common forms of fare evasion are as listed below:
· An ineligible person uses a preferred-treatment pass issued to students, the disabled, and senior citizens.
· The act of passing a turnstile through the emergency gate.
· Two or more people passing a turnstile at the same time.
· Passing the emergency gate by deception, e.g., saying you came back out through the turnstile to use the bathroom.
What Kinds of Actions Constitute Bus Fare Evasion?
- “Bus fare evasion” refers to any act that consists of boarding a bus without paying the requisite fare.
- The following actions are all leading forms of bus fare evasion and should not be taken:
· Not tagging your transit card to the terminal.
· Paying less than the full fare in cash.
· Paying with partial bills.
· Tagging your transit card in advance to evade the additional fare.
· Taking advantage of crowded conditions to board the bus from the back and not pay the fare.
(Source: Refer to Rigid Enforcement of Regulations on Illegal Rides of Seoul Intra-CityBuses Starts)(June 1, 2021)
Fare Evasion Is Illegal!
- Fare evasion in mass transit is destructive to fairness in mass transit. The losses from fare evasion are passed on to rightful mass transit users, and the act itself is illegal.
Here Are the Consequences
How Is Subway Fare Evasion Punished?
- If you evade a subway fare, you will be made to pay the fare for the section you have traveled, plus an additional fare of up to 30 times the fare (Article 10 (1) of the Railroad Enterprise Act).
· Currently, if you are caught for subway fare evasion, you are charged the fare you owe plus 30 times the amount of the fare.
· If you do not pay the additional penalty you may be criminally prosecuted. The possible penalties are:
√ For anyone who did not pay their fare, a fine of KRW 100 or less, confinement, or a minor fine (Article 3, Subparagraph 39 of the Punishment of Minor Offenses Act).
√ For anyone who forges or alters the currency for use in boarding a subway train, or actually uses such forged or altered currency, indefinite imprisonment or imprisonment of not shorter than two years shall be served (Article 207 (1) and (4) of the Criminal Act).
- Anyone who boards a subway train using another person’s lost preferred-treatment pass may be charged with embezzlement of lost articles, which is punishable by imprisonment of not more than one year, or a fine or minor fine of not more than KRW 1 million (Article 360 (1) of the Criminal Act).
How Is Bus Fare Evasion Punished?
- Anyone caught evading a fare on an intracity bus must pay 30 times the unpaid fare, in addition to the fare or the deficit, in cash (Article 13(2) of the Intracity Bus Transportation Enterprise Standard Contract).
· If you do not pay the additional amount, you may be criminally charged. The possible penalties are:
√ For anyone who did not pay their fare, a fine of KRW 100,000 or less, confinement, or a minor fine (Article 3, Subparagraph 39 of the Punishment of Minor Offenses Act).
√ For anyone who forges or alters the currency for use in boarding a bus, or actually uses such forged or altered currency, indefinite imprisonment or imprisonment of not less than two years shall be served (Article 207 (1) and (4) of the Criminal Act).
- Anyone who boards a bus using another person’s lost preferred-treatment pass may be charged with embezzlement of lost articles, which is punishable by imprisonment of not more than one year, or a fine or minor fine of not more than KRW 1 million (Article 360 (1) of the Criminal Act).