The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is cracking down on fare evasion by launching a new campaign to encourage people to pay their fares.
this is, new internal audit report The study found that transit agencies lost $124 million in revenue because people didn’t pay their fares, and that overall fare evasion rates were close to 12 percent in 2023. .
These numbers are nearly double the amount in 2018, when fare evasion was about 6 percent and the TTC lost $60 million to $70 million in revenue as a result.
According to the report, fare evasion rates are around 30 percent on streetcars, 6.3 percent at stations and 12.9 percent on buses.
The report lists the 510 streetcar, the York Mills crash gate, and the Dufferin Station gate jump as areas with high traffic for fare evasion.
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Additionally, the TTC found that 94% of those who used children’s cards were not under the age of 12.
As a result, the TTC rolled out a new fare evasion campaign earlier this week that includes posters that say things like “Tap Respectfully” and “Can’t Afford to Pay?” It will soon be plastered throughout the transportation system.
“The TTC is not free and despite receiving significant operating subsidies from the City of Toronto, we rely heavily on fares. They provide safe and reliable service to hundreds of millions of customers each year. , which allows us to keep those fares affordable,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. statement.
“We need those who deliberately take away our funding system to understand that their actions have consequences, including reduced service to others and penalties for themselves,” he continued. .
The TTC says passengers can also expect increased fare checks in locations where fare evasion rates are high.
“Transit fare inspectors will be patrolling the downtown streetcar network and station transfer points, and there will be more supervisors and special constables on the bus network. These measures will only deter fare evasion. “It also helps improve TTC safety by increasing staff visibility,” officials said. press release.
Passengers who do not pay their fare may face the following: Are you okay Up to $425.
