On January 14, TRAM launched a new anti-fraud campaign to raise awareness among people who use public transport about the need to validate their ticket on each trip.
Under the slogan “We need to talk. Stories of a fraudulent relationship”, the campaign is based on various stories starring the validation machine and the T-mobilitat system that simulate being in a relationship. With chapters such as “You are not very thoughtful” or “We should take some time,” the aim is to draw the attention of public transport users to highlight the need to validate their tickets on each trip.
At the end of last year, T-mobilitat was introduced, the new ticket system for public transport in the Barcelona area, which has progressively replaced the old cardboard cards with magnetic stripes with contactless rechargeable cards. Considering this change in the validation system, the reasons for committing fraud in public transport have also changed. That is why the focus of this campaign is primarily informative rather than punitive.
Thus, unlike the 2023 campaign, this time, the consequences of committing fraud (having to pay a fine of €100) are not directly mentioned; rather, the campaign focuses on providing information on how to purchase and correctly validate the new travel document.
Tram validations have increased during 2024, especially on the Trambesòs network. Specifically, the increase in validations compared to 2023 was 8.84% in Trambaix and 23.72% in Trambesòs. As for fraud, of the total inspections carried out throughout last year, 0.99% in the Trambaix network and 1.43% in the Trambesòs network resulted in a sanctioning procedure; figures that represent a slight decrease compared to previous years.
The campaign has been active since January 14 on the Trambaix network and will last two months, until March 14. However, in Trambesòs the campaign will be a little shorter, as it will start on February 10, also ending on March 14.
“We need to talk” will be shown on the tram’s physical media and also on TRAM’s online channels: stops, trams, validators, website and social networks. In addition, the campaign will be accompanied by increased inspections on both networks.