Latest news with #fareevasion
CTV News
18-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
TTC fare inspectors will have a new name and new look as of Sunday
'As much as $140 million is lost to fare evasion every year', according to the last TTC audit in 2023. (Toronto Transit Commission/YouTube) The TTC has announced that their fare inspectors will instead be known as Provincial Offences Officers, starting on Sunday. The rebrand is in response to the 2019 Toronto Auditor General's report that suggested a stronger inspection presence would encourage people not to skip out on paying their fair fare. The Toronto Auditor General reported in 2019 that the TTC's overall fare evasion rate was 5.4 per cent, losing $61 million in fares in 2018. According to the TTC fare evasion has since more than doubled. 'As much as $140 million is lost to fare evasion every year', according to the last TTC audit in 2023. Provincial Offences Officers will continue to hand out fare evasion tickets, but now in a new uniform consisting of a grey shirt and vest. These tickets can range from $245 to $425. The TTC receives funding from the federal, provincial, and municipal government but about 42 per cent of its budget comes from the fare box, which is significantly more than other Ontario public transit agencies. 'The TTC receives a significant City of Toronto operating subsidy but also relies heavily on fares to support its operations. This transition to Provincial Offences Officers is one of several initiatives that we have rolled out recently to encourage fare compliance,' TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali said in a press release. 'We remind customers that when they choose not to pay their fare, it impacts our ability to increase service and keep fare prices low.' The TTC's 2025 budget kept fares frozen at 2023 rates and is taking steps to recoup lost revenue. Some of these steps include hiring more fare inspectors and introducing plain clothes fare inspectors.
CBS News
15-07-2025
- CBS News
SEPTA police releases crime report for first half of 2025
SEPTA police's mid-year crime report for 2025 revealed significant increases in enforcement for fare evasion and quality-of-ride offenses compared to the first quarter of 2024. The report says that the overall enforcement of these kinds of incidents has increased by 27%. Within the first half of 2025, SEPTA police have issued 4,366 citations for fare evasion – a 74% increase from the first half of 2024. SEPTA police have also issued 1,189 tickets for smoking – a 6% increase; 253 tickets for marijuana use – a 19% increase. According to SEPTA, reports filed by customers through the SEPTA Transit Watch App related to fare evasion and smoking have also declined. SEPTA Police Chief Chuck Lawson said combating fare evasion directly impacts the number of crimes committed within the transit system. "When we increase our enforcement of fare evasion, we consistently see lower rates of crime and disorder on the system," Lawson said. "We are committed to a three-pronged approach to combatting fare evasion through deterrence, enforcement and education." "We've been at it now for more than a year – this level of enforcement. And we are seeing that not impact just the quality of life issues on SEPTA, but serious crime as all of that starts trending in a positive direction," Lawson said. Serious crimes are continuously dropping in most categories, according to the report. SEPTA police are continuing to "implement new data-driven deployment strategies," which is helping keep serious crimes low with reductions in seven out of eight categories within the first six months of 2025. "Despite an imminent fiscal crisis that could result in massive service cuts, we will continue to support the critical work that our police force does to ensure SEPTA is safe and secure for customers and employees," SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said. SEPTA said it will soon bring full-length fare gates to nine more SEPTA stations. The original full-length gates at 69th Street Transportation Center have reduced fare evasion by 20%, according to the report.
CBC
24-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
TransLink says fare enforcement blitz has led to millions in cost savings
Social Sharing Metro Vancouver's transit authority is hailing a recent increase in fare enforcement as a cost-saver, with TransLink saying it generated $3.2 million of additional revenue over six months. Cash-strapped TransLink says the increase in fare enforcement came about as part of $90 million in cost-saving measures announced last year. In the second half of 2024, the transit authority said it massively increased fare enforcement checks, and there was a bump in the number of people buying regular fares, as opposed to concession fares, like those offered to seniors and youth. TransLink says the revenue bump amounted to around $500,000 per month, and they're on track to exceed the cost savings that they had accounted for with the fare enforcement blitz. "We've seen the purchase of about 50,000 more adult fare passes each month and a decrease of 50,000 concession passes each month," said Anita Bathe, a TransLink spokesperson. "And that change alone really puts us on track to exceed the revenue target that we had — $5 million annually. So if this continues, we could see it being about $6 million." Bathe said that the authority was seeing most of its fare evasion on buses, particularly larger buses where commuters can enter through any door. TransLink said in a statement that the fare enforcement increase is to educate customers on correct fare payments and reduce lost revenue from fare evasion. The authority has been warning of cutting bus routes and service reductions amid funding challenges for years, with a recently-announced funding plan ensuring no service cuts until at least 2027. Call for lower-income fare pass A transit advocate, however, says the easiest way to reduce fare evasion would be to get a lower-income fare program in place. "There are legitimately a lot of people who can't afford to get by in Metro Vancouver, [for whom] their only option is to pay a full fare or break the law," said Denis Agar, the executive director of transit advocacy organization Movement. "In cities like Calgary, Toronto, Los Angeles, Seattle, there is a discount for people who can't afford fares, and we don't have that here, so we need that part." Agar also noted his concerns if police start enforcing fare evasion, saying having weapon-carrying officers on the transit system would send the wrong message. Bathe said that TransLink was not looking to target people who couldn't pay, and that the fare evasion program was being enforced by transit security officers and not police. She added that eight security officers had been hired in recent months by the authority as part of its fare enforcement program. The spokesperson added that while TransLink doesn't have the operating funds to offer a low-income fare program of its own, it has been advocating for higher levels of government to step up and do so. Currently, TransLink only offers discounted and free fares to seniors, youth between the ages of 13 and 18, people with disabilities, university students, and certain non-profits serving low-income people. "We always want to see what we can do to make sure that those vulnerable people are able to still use our system, because oftentimes those people are some of the ones who need it the most," Bathe said.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Conduent to Showcase Innovative 3D Fare Gates and Other Transit Technologies at Transport Ticketing North America
FLORHAM PARK, N.J., June 23, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Conduent Transportation, a global provider of smart mobility technology solutions and business unit of Conduent Incorporated (Nasdaq: CNDT), will showcase a range of advanced transit innovations – including its 3D Fare Gate Solution – at the Transport Ticketing North America conference and exposition, June 24-25 in Chicago. Technologies on display at Conduent Transportation's exhibit (Booth #F5) will include: Enhancing Passenger Experience and Combating Fare Evasion Conduent's 3D Fare Gate Solution enables fast and seamless access for passengers while helping transit agencies detect and deter fare evasion. The system uses a computer vision algorithm that accurately distinguishes people from objects such as strollers and suitcases, and service animals – improving both security and usability. Transit authorities also benefit from real-time reporting and analytics, identifying exactly when and where fare evasion occurs. These fare gates have recently been selected by multiple large agencies to strengthen public transit. Earlier this year, Conduent was selected by NJ TRANSIT to install 3D fare gates at two stations in New Jersey. That milestone followed a 2024 agreement with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to install 100 Conduent gates across nine Philadelphia-area stations. SEPTA's decision was based on a successful pilot program where fare enforcement efforts combined with the new technology led to increased revenue. In April, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York named Conduent as a potential vendor to help modernize subway fare systems. Conduent's gates will be installed for testing at five MTA stations this fall. DOT1 Ticket Vending Machine: This compact, multimedia platform sells digital QR code transit tickets while supporting tourism and mobility services. DOT1 integrates AI, virtual assistants, and remote management in an accessible, user-friendly format designed for flexible deployment and cross-sell opportunities. VPE 430 Universal Validator: Compatible with all ticketing formats – paper, card, or digital – the VPE 430 ticket validator integrates seamlessly with both online and traditional fare systems. It enables quick and intuitive check-in/check-out experiences for travelers entering or exiting public transit networks. Driving Better Outcomes for Agencies and Riders "This event provides a valuable opportunity to showcase Conduent's transit innovations that enhance the traveling experience and prevent fare evasion, benefiting transportation authorities and their customers around the world," said Adam Appleby, Group President, Public Sector Solutions at Conduent. Conduent Transportation is a leading provider of streamlined, high-volume mobility services and solutions, spanning tolling and advanced transit systems, which enhance the services provided by transportation agencies to benefit the citizens who use them. For over 50 years, the company has helped clients advance transportation solutions in more than 20 countries. About Conduent Conduent delivers digital business solutions and services spanning the commercial, government and transportation spectrum – creating valuable outcomes for its clients and the millions of people who count on them. The Company leverages cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation and advanced analytics to deliver mission-critical solutions. Through a dedicated global team of approximately 56,000 associates, process expertise and advanced technologies, Conduent's solutions and services digitally transform its clients' operations to enhance customer experiences, improve performance, increase efficiencies and reduce costs. Conduent adds momentum to its clients' missions in many ways including disbursing approximately $85 billion in government payments annually, enabling 2.3 billion customer service interactions annually, empowering millions of employees through HR services every year and processing nearly 13 million tolling transactions every day. Learn more at Note: To receive RSS news feeds, visit For open commentary, industry perspectives and views, visit or Trademarks Conduent is a trademark of Conduent Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Neil Franz, Conduent, +1-240-687-0127, Investor Relations Contact: David Chen, Conduent, ir@
Telegraph
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
What Sadiq Khan can learn from the city that crushed fare evasion
When Laura first moved to Washington three years ago, she thought the bus was a complimentary service paid for by the city. 'I assumed it was free when I took it the first couple of times because nobody was paying,' says the researcher. 'Everyone just walked straight on.' Across the world, fare evasion on public transport has exploded in the wake of the pandemic. It has left public transport companies reeling from hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues. Now, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) – which manages the US capital's bus and subway systems – is at the forefront of a crackdown. It has had huge success in tackling fare evasion on its Metrorail network, and is now targeting the buses. Randy Clarke, the WMATA general manager, says the network has cut subway fare-dodging by as much as 85pc from its peak. Meanwhile, on the other side of the atlantic, Transport for London (TfL) haemorrhages £130m to fare dodgers. Sir Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, would do well to take note of Clarke's tactics. Almost one in 20 Tube passengers didn't pay last year. Fare dodging has become a political flashpoint in London. Last month, Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, filmed himself confronting fare dodgers pushing through the barriers at Stratford station in east London. He posted the video on X with the message: 'Sadiq Khan is driving a proud city into the ground. Lawbreaking is out of control. He's not acting. So, I did.' But what can Sir Sadiq learn from Washington? Across all US transport networks, the rate of fare evasion has nearly quadrupled since the pandemic. In 2018, it was 2pc. Last year, it was 7pc – according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). But 7pc sounds quaint on large city networks. Clarke may have had success on Washington's subway network but WMATA data last autumn showed around 70pc of riders on DC buses were travelling without paying. Paul Skoutelas, APTA's president, blames a psychological shift during lockdown. Many transport systems stopped charging fares to reduce contact between people, or to boost passenger numbers. 'People are thinking, 'We didn't pay then, do we really need to pay now?'' says Skoutelas. In Washington, Metrobus fares were waived between March 2020 and January 2021. For many riders, the habit stuck. By 2022, WMATA was losing $40m (£29.5m) a year in revenues to fare evaders across Metrorail and Metrobus. Benjamin Lynn, of the Amalgamated Transit Union (AMT), says of the rail network: 'You'd see people climb over the fare gates on a daily basis.' Three steps to tackle fare evasions When Clarke joined WMATA as general manager in the summer of 2022, he launched a three-pronged attack to tackle fare evasion on DC's Metrorail network. First, he tightened the rules to introduce new penalties for failing to pay. Secondly, he stepped up police patrols to catch offenders. And thirdly, and most crucially, WMATA introduced new gates that are much harder to skip through. At the end of 2018, Washington had decriminalised fare evasion, meaning perpetrators only faced fines. Then during the pandemic, it largely stopped policing the policy. Fare evasion enforcements plunged from more than 15,000 in 2017 to just 297 in 2021. WMATA launched a new system of penalties shortly after Clarke joined in 2022, with $50 civil fines for fare evasion in Washington. In the states of Virginia and Maryland, which are also part of the transport network, fare evasion is a criminal offence with a fine of up to $100. But officers had limited means to impose these fines until District of Columbia council officials passed the Secure DC Bill in March 2024, which handed police greater powers to force offenders to provide their correct names and addresses. Anyone failing to comply can face an additional $100 fine. At the same time, Clarke increased police patrols by 70pc. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of citations and summonses issued by the Metro Transit Police surged by 136pc to hit nearly 16,000 – the highest total on record in at least a decade. In the first four months of 2025, citations were up by a further 45pc. WMATA also began rolling out new fare gates, with installations completed across all 98 stations last year. The old gates were only 28 inches high and consisted of small retracting fan-shaped gates. They were easy to push through, crawl under or climb over. The new gates are almost twice the height (55 inches) and consist of L-shaped polycarbonate door-panels with robust, motorised hinges and only a 10-inch gap underneath. Clarke's personal leadership style has also helped. One of his first steps after becoming general manager was to get remote workers back into the office. 'A lot of people didn't love that at the time,' he told the Statecraft politics podcast this month. However, he said the shift in policy helped get results. 'I think that is actually one of the reasons we produced so much.' The impact has been undeniable. The network has clawed back tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue and in two years the crime rate across WMATA has fallen by 65pc to a seven-year low. 'Not everyone who fare-evades commits crimes, but almost universally, everyone who commits serious crimes fare-evades,' Clarke told Statecraft. 'Not many people are going to tap in and then do armed robbery.' The Metrobus, however, is still something of a Wild West. This is Clarke's new frontier. At the end of last year, WMATA launched a new effort with transit police, plain-clothes officers and video monitoring. Digital signs on the front of Metrobuses now say 'fare required'. 'You would think, 'Geez, that's very simple.' But I think it needs to be said,' says Skoutelas. WMATA is at the aggressive forefront of a national effort to claw back lost revenues. City networks including New York, San Francisco and Seattle have all made major inroads on fare evasion with similar tactics. In London, TfL is on a campaign too, with a target to cut fare evasion from 3.4pc – or 4.7pc on the Tube – to 1.5pc by 2030. Sir Sadiq has taken similar efforts to tighten the rules, increasing fines for fare evasion from £80 to £100 in March last year. In April, TfL announced it was expanding its team of dedicated investigators to crack down on prolific repeat offenders. But there has so far been no word on improving fare gates. In response to a Freedom of Information request on the topic in March this year, TfL said: 'There are currently no plans to replace the ticket barriers.' It seems Sir Sadiq is missing a vital trick. Ultimately, the key to fixing the problem is psychological, Clarke believes. 'There is some truth to a larger societal idea. People want to see other people follow rules, and the more that people follow rules, the more people watching them follow rules,' he told Statecraft. 'There's a societal group-think at play.'
