This is the moment a Tube fare dodger brazenly pushed through the ticket barrier at Bank station with his bike, just yards away from more than a dozen London Underground staff.
The incident happened on Wednesday, the third day of a strike which has crippled London’s transport network and led to most Tube lines being shut.
The hooded man was seen flouting several TfL byelaws when he rode his bike through the underground corridors at Bank station, weaving in and out of commuters making their way on foot.
He then carried the bike – which is banned from services in and out of the station, as well as most Underground lines – up the escalators and stairs.
When he reached the ticket barriers, station staff in orange hi-vis jackets can be seen congregating on the other side.
The man paused briefly, before forcing open one side of the wide barriers to squeeze himself and his bike through to the other side.
Staff did not react as the incident unfolded, and the fare dodger was able to leave the station unchallenged.
Recent figures have shown that fare evasion on London’s public transport is more than twice as bad as previously thought.
In July the Standard revealed that the cost of fare dodging had reached £190 million a year – far higher than the £130 million figure frequently used by Transport for London.
Controversy was recently sparked over the extent of fare dodging by Tory frontbench MP Robert Jenrick being threatened after attempting to challenge evaders on the Underground.
TfL recently said fare evasion across its services – the London Underground, Overground, Elizabeth line, DLR, Croydon tram and bus network – had fallen year on year from 3.8 per cent of journeys in 2023/24 to 3.5 per cent in 2024/25.
But, in a report being presented to next week’s safety and security panel, TfL officials have provided a more detailed breakdown, showing how fare dodging on the Tube was happening at about twice the rate on buses.
A recent survey by London TravelWatch found that 80% of Londoners said TfL was not doing enough to tackle fare evasion.
The London Assembly transport committee has written to TfL and British Transport Police to raise concerns and urge greater efforts to target evaders.
The assembly committee said it was “concerned that unstaffed gatelines are not a priority for TfL” and called for it to monitor the practice – often used when staff are on breaks or off sick – over the next six months.
It recommended that TfL “reconsider its approach to staffing stations and its routine use of lone working” to improve both the reality and perception of staff safety in the context of fare evasion.
Docklands Light Rail (DLR) services were running from Bank on Wednesday afternoon, but Tube lines had been suspended.
Staff present at the station were directing commuters towards alternative options for travel.
Transport for London (TfL) brings thousands of criminal prosecutions each year against fare dodgers, but has been under fire in recent months for not doing enough to tackle the scourge of people pushing through the barriers without paying.
TfL also has the power to fine and prosecute passengers who break the rules on bikes – as well as skateboard and rollerskates - being used in stations.
New guidance from TfL issued at the end of March this year sets out that non-folding bikes are banned from the Tube, the Overground, the Elizabeth Line, and the DLR.
Foldable bikes are allowed for passengers taking the DLR in and out of Bank station.
The Tube strike was called by the RMT Union in an ongoing dispute over pay, working conditions, and hours for staff.
