TWENTY ONE fare dodgers and 14 passengers with suspected fraudulent zone tickets were caught when police and transport firms ran a crackdown on the town's buses.
Police stopped 56 buses and spoke to more than 1000 passengers in St Helens during the operation in which they teamed up with Arriva, Stagecoach and Mersey Travel.
Fare dodgers were either ordered to pay the fare or get off the bus. Those with alleged fraudulent zone tickets face being prosecuted by Merseytravel.
Sergeant John Murphy from the Neighbourhood Action Team said: "This multi-agency initiative aims to combat fare evasion and anti-social behaviour on our buses and sends out a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated in St Helens.
"We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that local people can travel around Merseyside in safety, and without fear.
"Buses offer an essential service, and it is our aim to use the lessons we have learnt with this operation, working in conjunction with our partners,
to stamp out crime on and around the bus routes for good."
