Passengers using the tram network without having a valid ticket will be fined £70 from Friday 1 October.

Tramlink Nottingham announced that the penalty will be increased from £50 to £70 to help further reduce the amount of ticketless travel.

With COVID restrictions easing earlier this year, Travel Officers were reintroduced to the tram network from May to offer help and assistance to passengers and check tickets.

As a result, data gathered by officers on board has shown that levels of fare evasion fell from 25% of passengers in May to 5% in September. As a further deterrent to fare evasion, for any passengers travelling without a valid ticket, pass or smartcard, the Penalty Fare Notice will increase

These latest steps to further tackle fare evasion come as passengers can now use a range of methods to buy a valid ticket before they travel, including ticket machines at every tram stop, the Robin Hood Smartcard and the NETGO! app.

Passengers can also benefit from a range of different ticket types to suit their needs including the £1 Short Hop fare; Student Season Passes; £2.50 Event Tickets and the tram2work scheme for commuters and local businesses.

Tramlink CEO Tim Hesketh said: "We are encouraged by the continued fall in fare evasion but 5% is still too high and that is why we are increasing the penalty fare as a further deterrent.

"Fare evaders are a small minority but their actions take the city and our loyal customers for a ride, undermining the huge efforts and investment we are all making to get Nottingham and the local economy moving again.

"With fares from just £1 it has never been easier to buy a ticket so our message to fare evaders is simple – do the right thing and pay your way to support your city."