German politician demands decriminalizing fare evasion to protect vulnerable groups
Eva von Angern, leader of the Left Party's parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt, has called for fare evasion to be decriminalised. She argues that prison sentences for unpaid bus or train fares unfairly target vulnerable people and waste public resources. Over the past five years, 99 individuals in the region have been jailed for repeatedly travelling without a valid ticket. Between 2019 and 2024, 1,739 people in Saxony-Anhalt received fines for fare evasion. Of those prosecuted, 87 were given suspended sentences, while 99 were imprisoned. Among them were 16 juveniles.
Von Angern described imprisonment for fare evasion as outdated and legally unjustifiable. She highlighted that incarceration costs around €150 per inmate per day, placing an unnecessary burden on taxpayers. Instead, she proposed treating fare evasion as an administrative violation rather than a criminal offence. The Left Party also argued that decriminalisation would ease pressure on police and courts. Von Angern stressed that current laws disproportionately punish marginalised groups, including the poor, homeless, and those battling addiction. She insisted that prison terms for unpaid fares fail to address the root causes of the issue.
The push to decriminalise fare evasion aims to reduce court backlogs and cut public spending on imprisonment. If successful, the change would reclassify the offence as an administrative matter rather than a crime. This would prevent future jail terms for those unable to pay for transport.
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