OC Transpo is 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 inspectors issued 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 chief Renée Amilcar told commissioners. “We will be very aggressive on that, because people need to pay.”
The fines total $206 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 patrol the entire transit system, but noted Hurdman, Blair and 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.
Brockington said he’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.”
We have a Proof of Payment system (honour system) that expedites boarding.<br>We are losing millions of dollars due to fare evasion.<br>Yes, there is an inconvenience to stopping to show proof of payment but that is the balance to a PoP system.
—@RiverWardRiley
The ongoing fare compliance initiative started in January with 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, 10 more fare inspectors were added to the roster.
Coun. Marty Carr asked about the possibility of collecting demographic data about who’s receiving the fines, but OC Transpo’s chief safety officer Duane Duquette said that’s not permitted.
Duquette also noted there’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.”
Amilcar said the 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.