Ticket checks now in operation on Manchester Metrolink
 

There are now two forms of ticket checks being carried out on the Manchester Metrolink.

On some trams two ticket inspectors jump on the tram at one stop, check all the tickets and then jump off the tram at the next stop.

Also at stops like Piccadilly and Bury at certain times ticket checks are carried out for passengers joining or leaving the Metrolink.

I've also noticed that the penalty fare's now £80. Only a few years ago it was £10 and I think some regular users would have finished up paying less if they had never bought a ticket and had to pay the penalty fare a few times due to ticket checks rarely taking place.

Although, once when I was on a tram in Manchester a few years ago there were some adverts on the tram saying "Ticket inspectors required for Metrolink." I'm not sure if they were actually taking on one or two or just hoping they acted as a deterent in fare evasion.

Yes Metro Link did have there own Inspectors but not many of them I rember seeing them a few times in plain clothes !

Are Stagecoach Inspectors In Unifrom or Plain Clothes ?

The ones who check tickets on the tram seem to be in yellow flourscent jackets, while the ones at stops in orange jackets.

The Metrolink now sounds like its becoming more like the Sheffield supertram already :D . I think there is a similar system to jackets on buses, since many Stagecoach bus drivers I remember seeing wore orange jackets, but ticket inspoectors wore yellow.

I was on a tram in manc last year and an inspector walked in, asked for tickets and walked out without seeing any!

Have only ever seen one Metrolink ticket inspector on my 3/4 visits per year to Manchester. That sighting was two years ago. The guy had long hair, a couple of days beard growth and was dressed in trainers, jeans and an ex-German military jacket. He observed passengers, then picked a target, produced his pass and struck.

My most recent trip, a month ago, had the Securicor ticket collectors at Victoria attempting to remove tickets, valid for the central area Metrolink, from passengers, claiming the ticket was no longer valid once you reached Victoria.

Nice try, if more frequent ticket inspections are now being made and penalties being issued to the unwary.

I see we have another case of 'unaware syndrome' in the form of external organisations' people 'working' on the railways (were they big broad bouncer looking people by any chance?). If you ask me, get rid of 'em and replace them with Northern Rail (or any other operator) security workers who are trained properly! These people are more of a liability than an asset.

Back onto the subject, I was onboard a metro on Good Friday which had two staff members onboard, not checking tickets however (in Central Manchester nearer to Piccadilly), do they only check on certain parts of the route?

The conditions on Manchester CTLZ tickets aren't clear except that they are valid on Metrolink in the City Zone only (G-Mex to Victoria), but are they supposed to be valid for one single or return journey or all day?

If Securior tickets were collecting tickets Manchester CTLZ tickets off people leaving trains at Manchester Victoria then it could have resulted in people travelling from places like Ashton-under-Lyme and Oldham having to purchase an additional Metrolink ticket when they shouldn't have. If that happens then people should definetly tell Northern Rail's Customer Relations department (as Northern are responsible for the running of Manchester Victoria station.)

Tickets from within Greater Manchester to Manchester stations will include Metrolink City zone.

Tickets across Manchester from stations within Greater Manchester will only be included if the weekday journey requires it. EG. Eccles to Stockport will, Eccles to Stalybridge will not.

It will only be one way per ticket portion, so one way for singles, two way for return.

Tickets which start in Manchester are not valid on Metrolink.

Incidentally Metrolink employees or their contractors have no right to retain your train ticket, unless it is fraudulent, this is because they are the property of the railway.

There were securior people on the tram platform at Manchester Victoria when I went a few days ago. However, they weren't collecting tickets from people. The securior people there looked like Securior people who had been checking tickets at Northern Rail stations a while ago when they hadn't been collecting tickets off people, so maybe Stagecoach told them to collect Manchester CTLZ tickets or didn't give clear instructions.