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 fines were issued (42% more than the same period in 2018).
As reported by La Stampa, ticket inspectors checked over 288.000 passengers (or 9.000 daily) in July only, and identified 35% more passengers traveling without valid tickets compared to July 2018.
The company reported that most of the fare dodging incidents occur on lines 40, 64, 23, 314, and tram 8.
Ongoing efforts to prevent and reduce traveling without valid tickets
These measures are a continuation of the sustained efforts ATAC has been taking over the years in order to reduce fare evasion and maintain its business sustainability. Earlier in 2018, it conducted similar interventions and even introduced experimental turnstiles on a bus line on its network.
ATAC, Agenzia del Trasporto Autoferrotranviario del Comune di Roma, runs the majority of public transport in Rome. It employs 13.000 people and its transport services cover about 1.285 squre km in total.