A passenger on a packed London bus was apprehended by a ticket inspector for allegedly using her teenage daughter's free travel pass. The incident, captured on camera, occurred after the woman was found to be using a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard, designated for individuals aged 16 and 17, on Transport for London (TfL) buses.
Revenue protector officer Dija identified the passenger, whose face was obscured by a niqab, as appearing to be in her 40s or 50s. When Dija attempted to issue a penalty fare, the woman, after alighting the bus at Pollard Row in Bethnal Green, appeared unable to comprehend English. Despite attempts by the inspector to explain the situation and a colleague's effort to translate into Urdu, the passenger reportedly said "sorry" and attempted to make a phone call.
Footage shows the inspector informing the woman that the pass did not belong to her and that her details were required. The woman then attempted to leave the bus, with Dija accompanying her to continue the interaction. Dija explained that she needed to see identification to process the situation, warning that a lack of cooperation could escalate the matter. The woman's responses, including "I need to go" and "I can go, yes?", were met with continued requests for identification.
When Dija's colleague, Megan, offered to assist by translating into Urdu, the woman claimed she did not understand that language either. Megan noted to Dija that the passenger had spoken English earlier in the encounter. The woman eventually walked away, but the inspectors confiscated the pass and forwarded it to the TfL prosecution team for further investigation. "She knew what she was doing and she just tried to act oblivious to everything, as they do," Dija stated. "It's alright, we've got the main thing which is the pass, so that's it."
TfL reported a fare evasion rate of 2.6 percent for buses in the 2025/26 period, with rates varying across different transport lines. The inspection team examined tickets of 3.3 million bus passengers in the most recent year, an increase of 400,000 from the previous year. The incident is featured in the Channel 5 documentary 'Fare Dodgers: At War With The Law'.