TTC cops will now go undercover to catch people who try to ride for free
Starting on Wednesday, certain TTC fare inspectors will begin to patrol the transit system and issue tickets without uniforms as part of the agency's ongoing effort to curb fare evasion.
The "undercover" approach was previously tested in 2018 and reintroduced three weeks ago with plainclothes inspectors who educated those found to be riding illegally through the transit network.
The TTC estimates that $140 million is lost to fare evasion annually and argues that having inspectors patrol in plain clothes will help to reduce these losses. Tickets for fare evasion range from $235 to $425, depending on the nature of the incident.
"While the TTC receives considerable operating funds from the City, we rely heavily on the fare box to support our operations. When people don’t pay, that impacts our ability to increase service and keep fare prices low," said TTC CEO Greg Percy.
"We prefer all customers pay for their rides rather than issue tickets. At the same time, we have to let people know we're serious."
Undercover inspectors will carry IDs and be equipped with body-worn cameras to record customer interactions.
This new approach is the second fare evasion initiative implemented by the TTC this fall. Back in September, the transit agency began eliminating the "no-tap" gates at subway stations to capture lost fares, and collectors were redeployed to assist customers who required help with gates.
However, not everyone is in favour of this new initiative, including TTCriders, a membership-based organization of transit riders in Toronto.
"The TTC should be a welcoming public service for everyone. Plainclothes fare inspection is a mistake that will fuel conflict and an environment of mistrust that could be abused," the organization wrote in a statement following the release of the TTC's plans.
"The TTC has an open payment system. Does the TTC really expect transit riders to hand over their credit and debit cards to strangers claiming to be fare inspectors? Trying to 'catch' riders contradicts the TTC's plan to bring back a 'taps before tickets' approach. According to TTC data, 50 per cent of riders pay when asked to."
Furthermore, the organization argues that instead of deploying undercover inspectors, the agency could hire "greeters" on streetcars who could encourage people to tap without creating "more fear" and mistrust.
"TTC data demonstrates that the expansion of non-enforcement frontline staff in subway stations has had a positive impact on rider safety. But TTC enforcement staff have a track record of racial profiling," the statement reads.
"Toronto should focus instead on regulating ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft, which are costing our transit agency millions by siphoning away 4.6 per cent to 6.9 per cent of weekday TTC ridership."
There's so much wrong with this, hard to know where to start...
— local yokel (@meh_just_a_guy) December 4, 2024
If the point of fare enforcers is to encourage people to pay fares, why be in plain clothes? What would not wearing a uniform accomplish that wearing one wouldn't?
The TTC notes that fare evasion tactics can vary and include illegal entry into a subway station through a bus bay, entering a fare gate without paying, boarding a bus or streetcar without paying, or using a fare type that you do not qualify for (ie. child, youth, senior or post-secondary student).
