Do SNCF controllers receive bonuses and commissions when they fine travelers ?

Les contrôleurs SNCF touchent-ils des primes et des commissions en mettant des amendes ? (illustration) MAXPPP – Vincent Isore

Les contrôleurs SNCF touchent-ils des primes et des commissions lors des amendes infligées aux voyageurs ? La réponse est oui, on vous explique le système.

The fines and behavior of SNCF controllers are often singled out on social networks. Just recently, a man was fined 270 euros for exchanging his seat with another passenger. The question then arises: do the controllers of the French railway company receive bonuses and commissions by issuing fines ?

From 4 to 10%

Well yes. Our colleagues from Le Parisien were able to consult an internal document which confirms this information. On each fine issued to a traveler, the inspectors receive a commission, as long as it is paid immediately. "That’s why some people insist. Otherwise, we draw up a report, and there we only receive less than one euro per PV", confides a captain.

But these commissions can vary according to an established scale. From 4 to 10% depending on whether the traveler self-reports or is caught at fault during a check. Several acts can be punished with a fine, namely: without a valid ticket (without a transport ticket, ticket for another train, etc.), invalid reduction (without card, upgrade, wrong age…), fraud (falsified title, false date of birth)… and many others.

"The fight against fraud is a priority"

Are the controllers and captains then motivated by the lure of profit ? Excessive zeal is still pointed out. Although considered "cowboys" au & quot;hot-blooded", they claim to meet the demands of management, according to the daily newspaper.

"The fight against fraud is a priority for us. The shortfall represents 200 million euros each year. This is the equivalent of 25 new TER trains , explains SNCF Voyageurs. If these commissions surprise a large number of people, they "represent a marginal part of the remuneration of a chef on board, a few tens of euros per month for a TGV or TER train manager", assures a company spokesperson, quoted by BFMTV.