Shanghai fare dodgers face punishments that could stop them from buying homes
Under new proposals, people without a proper tickets will receive a point penalty in their personal credit record. This may lead to difficulties getting a future home loan or job
Shanghai authorities are considering new penalties for people trying to avoid paying fares when taking the subway, the Chinese media reported.
It is part of a new move to tackle the rising problem of daily commuters finding ways to avoid using proper tickets.
Under the new approach, people caught without a proper ticket will receive a penalty point on their personal credit record. This may lead to difficulties getting a house loan or a job in future, a proposed revision of the Shanghai Administration of Shanghai Railway Regulation suggests.
Those who cheat the subway system will also pay a fine up to 10 times their fare - double the current amount enforced since 2002, it said.
State-run China Central Television in 2011 reported that as many as 20,000 people take free rides in Shanghai each day, costing the operator more than 10 million yuan (HK$12.6 million) a year. Many culprits simply slip under the turnstiles, while others use fake senior passes to go through the gates without paying, the report said.
In a video that surfaced online earlier this year at a Shanghai subway station, which has gone viral, 21 people were recorded in just 90 seconds ducking under the turnstiles and entering without paying.