THEY have many ways to dodge paying fares. And they don't give a hoot who picks up the bill - honest commuters, bus company shareholders, or bus captains who fail to earn merit points by not confiscating misused cards.

The fare cheats fall into three groups:

SKIMMERS

Makes up 70 per cent of total fare evasion cases

Some pay in cash but pay less than fare stated for distance travelled

Those who use ez-link cards tap card on boarding and then immediately at exit card reader, but alight at bus stop further down the road

FREE RIDERS

Makes up 24 per cent of total fare evasion cases

Deliberately do not tap ez-link card when boarding or alighting bus

MISUSERS

Makes up 6 per cent of total fare evasion cases

Commuter uses concession card belonging to someone else

Concession privileges benefit eligible bonafide users - eg students - and are subsidised by full-fare-paying commuters

Those who misuse card penalises full-fare-paying commuters

This story was first published in The New Paper on 21 April 2008.