Public Transport Archives - Page 6 of 11

November 4, 2019 Fare Evasion

TTC loses millions to fare evasion and malfunctioning equipment
An average of $61 million were lost to fare evasion and $3.4 million to faulty equipment in 2018

These numbers were made public in a recent report released by the Auditor General of Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), which outlined the impact of faulty tech and numerous fare dodgers on the public network’s financial sustainability. The report adds that the actual revenue loss is likely higher than the numbers estimated. Fare dodgers hop...

October 21, 2019 Fare Evasion

Subway fare hikes in Santiago, Chile turn deadly
A small group of students started the protests which quickly grew in amplitude leading to several deaths

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A recent announcement of a price increase by 4% (to 830 pesos, or over $1) for tickets on Santiago Metro‘s network has sparked a series of violent demonstrations at subway premises and in other locations in Chile’s capital. Protesters smashed glass, damaged gate turnstiles, burned busses and subway cars, and attacked police vehicles during the...

October 9, 2019 Public Transport

Crackdown on fare dodgers in Genoa, Italy
2.876 passengers were checked and 110 fines were issued in an operation which involved 22 ticket inspectors and local police agents

In its efforts to fight fare evasion, Genoa’s public transport company ATM conducted another major ticket inspection operation on its network on Thursday 3rd October 2019. The operation involved 22 ticket inspector officers who were accompanied by local police agents. In total, 2,876 passengers on 231 buses were checked, of which 110 (3,8%) were convicted...

October 2, 2019 Public Transport

Germany considers decriminalising fare dodging in public transport
Currently fare evasion might cost you a fine of 60 euros or jail time up to one year, although prison sentences are rare

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Following a debate which we’ve written about earlier in January 2019, the state governments of Berlin and Thuringia have now submitted bills to downgrade the status of fare dodging in public transport from a criminal to a regulatory offence. Both governments argue that the current law of criminal prosecution does not offer a viable...

September 25, 2019 Public Transport

Complaints as fare evasion fines in Toronto higher than parking violation tickets
Fines can be 10 times greater than parking tickets even though the annual income of commuters is much lower than that of car owners

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The high discrepancy between fines has sparked public debate among commuters who feel they are treated unjustly and that the current amounts are not clearly justified. Forgetting to pay or to display a car parking ticket in Toronto can cost between $30 to $150 depending on time and areas. In contrast, traveling without a...

September 20, 2019 Fare Evasion

Spike in public transport fare evasion at Hong Kong’s MTR amid protests
Protesters are unhappy with MTR's decision to close some of its key stations and services in August 2019

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In the light of the recent anti-government protests in Hong Kong, more passengers using MTR‘s public transport services have been found to be jumping over access gates and traveling without valid tickets. In August 2019, MTR (Mass Transit Railway Corporation) shut several stations and services in protest-hit areas arguing that this would help reduce...

September 12, 2019 Fare Evasion

Extra measures to fight fare dodging on Rome’s ATAC public transport network in 2019
In the first 7 months of 2019, 36% more passengers were checked and 42% more fines were issued, compared to the same period in 2018

With four million trips taken daily on Rome’s ATAC network, the public transport operator is taking extra measures to ensure that its revenue is not affected by fare evasion. In the first 7 months of 2019, 2 million 200 thousand passengers were checked (36% more than the same period in 2018), and 134 thousand...

August 19, 2019 Ticketing

SNCF upgrades to full-height access gates to reduce fare evasion
Under the new plan, 140 new gates at 34 stations will be installed at a total cost of 55 million euros

In July 2019 the Parisian station of Saint-Lazare has been the first one to receive the upgrades. According to the press release issued by SNCF, the cost raised to 14 million euros for this station, out of 55 million euros invested in total to replace 1.800 old access gates at 34 stations on its...

July 15, 2019 Ticketing

Study concludes free public transport in Lyon, France unsustainable
Lyon's transit network is significantly larger than that of cities like Dunkirk where public transport is free

A recent study commissioned by France’s second largest public transport operator SYTRAL has concluded that switching to a ticket-free scheme on Lyon’s TCL network would be financially unsustainable and would jeopardise the development of the network on the long-term. According to the press release issued by SYTRAL, free service would reduce certain operating expenses such...

July 1, 2019 Public Transport

Transport for New South Wales takes tougher measures to reduce fare evasion
Since the implementation of the Opal Card in 2012 fare evasion has been in decline but it still cost taxpayers $83m in 2018

Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) released new fare evasion figures. Reports show that the highest fare evasion rate has been on the Hunter line – at 13.6% over one year, equaling to revenue losses of about $351.000. TfNSW issued $1.4m in fines on this line from June 2018 to May 2018. In total,...