OC Transpo extends fare evasion crackdown to end of year

OC Transpois extending a crackdown on fare evasion to the end of the year after seeing success during the month of September, telling the city's transit commission earlier this week that inspectorsissued 904 fines and 15 warnings during the four-week blitz.

"With the results after the blitz, we have taken the decision to continue because we have seen that it added a lot of value to do so," transit chiefRene Amilcartold commissioners. "We will be very aggressive on that, because people need to pay."

The fines cost $260each and are collected by the province, which remits part of that to OC Transpo. Amilcar said OC Transpo's share of the money collected will fund additional fare inspectors.

Twelve fare inspectors took part in the blitz from Sept. 3-30, asking passengers aboard buses and trains for proof of payment.

Amilcar said they patrolthe entire transit system, but notedHurdman, Blairand Rideau stations are hot spots for fare evasion.

'Continuous' fare evasion

Coun. Riley Brockington said he has personally witnessed "continuous" fare evasion at Rideau station, and challenged the notion that passengers are seeking free rides out of economic necessity.

"This argument from some that the poorest of the poor are fare evaders, it's not true. These are people who've just gone shopping, who've spent a significant amount of money, who are well dressed, evading fares because they can get away with it," he said.

Brockingtonsaidhe's also concerned the trend could seriously hamper OC Transpo's finances, claiming on the social media platform X on Thursday that "we are losing millions of dollars due to fare evasion."

The ongoing fare compliance initiative started in Januarywith just two inspectors, in response to concerns about a rise in fare skipping.Critics argued OC Transpo should focus on improving service rather than cracking down on fare evasion, and argued the blitzes harmed the most vulnerable.

Nevertheless, 10more fare inspectors were added to the roster.

Coun. Marty Carr asked about the possibility of collectingdemographic data about who's receiving the fines, but OC Transpo's chief safety officer Duane Duquette said that's not permitted.

Duquettealso notedthere's no point in "issuing a ticket to someone we know will not receive it. We try to use other means to solve those issues."

Amilcarsaidthe transit commission will receive a detailed report on the future of fare enforcement once the current blitz wraps up at the end of the year.