Nottingham trams to feature in latest season of popular channel 5 documentary this month
Nottingham Express Transit (NET) will be playing a starring role in the latest season of 5’s ‘Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law’, produced by Middlechild TV. The Middlechild TV camera crew shadowed NET customer experience agents to discover firsthand the daily challenge the transport operator faces keeping the network running while clamping down on fare evasion.
The upcoming episodes will shine a spotlight on the revenue protection teams at some of the UK’s biggest rail, bus and tram operators, with NET featuring in five new weekly episodes that are set to air this August.
From following a plain clothes operation on the network where two men were caught travelling without a ticket, to working with Nottinghamshire Police to apprehend a young male who was suspected of fare evasion and antisocial behaviour, viewers will gain new insight into the hard work that goes into ensuring the network remains safe for all passengers.
Sarah Turner, managing director of NET, said: “Working with the production team to cast a light on the incredible work our agents do to keep the network moving has been very rewarding. Managing instances of attempted fare evasion and anti-social behaviour form an important part of the bigger end goal that we're always working towards - creating a safe and reliable network that people can depend on every day.
“The series also reaffirms the legal authority held by NET customer experience agents to enforce the rules and regulations that protect the safety and wellbeing of everyone travelling across the network, while highlighting the efforts of all our customer experience agents who we’re incredibly proud of.”
To crack down on fare evasion across the network, in 2023 NET re-affirmed its ‘zero tolerance’ policy, with more than 10,000 people caught travelling without a valid ticket in 2025. As NET continues to implement measures to deter fare dodgers, the series reveals that fare evasion is costing Nottingham’s tram network around two million pounds in unpaid fares each year.
Sarah added: “Alongside tackling anti-social behaviour, reducing fare evasion is another critical part of ensuring our network is safe to use. Thousands of people rely on the trams to get to work, visit family and more, so it is incredibly important that people are purchasing their tickets to support this vital infrastructure in the city.
“We hope this series helps to raise awareness of the impact fare evasion has on the whole network, our passengers and the wider city, while also illustrating the fact that fare evasion is an important issue that’s not simply a harmless crime.”
Watch and Stream the new season of 5’s ‘Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law’ on Mondays at 9.00pm.
For more information about NET, visit www.thetram.net/penalty-fares