Fare inspections to resume on Toronto’s public transport
After a two-month pause during the pandemic, fare inspectors will gradually resume their normal duties this summer

Toronto tram in operation

TTC – short for Toronto Transit Authority, announced that fare inspectors will gradually resume activity on its premises and vehicles. During June, they will board vehicles once again to ‘remind customers to pay their fare’. They will be placed at key surface transfer points to ‘observe and educate customers and to make sure they...

Toronto’s TTC fare evasion losses amount to $73.5 million in 2019
TTC aims to reduce losses by $10 million in 2020 through hiring more fare inspection officers, running preventive ad campaigns, and improving the Presto ticketing system

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TTC, the public transport operator in Toronto, Canada released a new report which reveals $73.5 million fare evasion losses in 2019, $12.5 million more than the previous year. According to the report, most fare dodging incidents take place on streetcars, at 15.9%, equivalent to $23 million. Fare evasion rate on buses is at 6.3%, or...

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

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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...

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...

Metrolinx to save 3.75M by tackling fare evasion in 2019-2020
Fare evasion is lower in Canada compared to other parts of the world but a recent report indicates 15M loss yearly

Go Transit Train in Canada

Ontario’s Regional Transportation Agency Metrolinx has recently reported that it aims to save as much as 3.75M in 2019-2020 by taking a stricter stance on fare evasion on its network. This would amount to about 25% reduction in fraudulent incidents. As cited by the agency, most of the incidents happen on the Go Transit system...

TTC lost $61M to fare evasion in 2018
Auditors general’s report shows fare evasion costed three times more than the Canadian agency previously said and proposes 27 recommendations to fix the situation

TTC streetcar

Toronto Transit Commission’s prolonged fare evasion issue does not seem to improve. In 2018, TTC lost $61M to fare evasion, according to Toronto’s auditor general report. This figure implies 5.4% of total passengers skipped the fare. It also triples the estimate the agency has consistently defended over time. The bus is the public transport...

More transit inspection to combat fare evasion at TTC
The transport agency also suggests a 10% fare hike to meet capital needs and sustain operations

More transit inspection at TTC

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is estimated to lose $50 million annually to fare evasion. An internal report made public a year ago suggested that the fare evasion rate was 4.4% instead of the official 2% figure. It also stated that a 2% reduction of this rate would save the agency more than $29 million...

Wristbands, a new way to pay for public transport
Vancouver’s transport agency TransLink trials alternatives to Compass Cards

TransLink tests wristbands as an alternative to Compass cards TransLink https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUQ7a-u0YJ8

Vancouver’s transport agency TransLink keeps innovating in ticketing options. After deploying the Compass Card fare system two years ago and introducing a Tap-to-Pay system earlier this year, TransLink is testing wristbands an alternative form of paying. “We are always looking for new ways to improve customer experience” they state. Wristbands would work as the...

PRESTO fare card system shows “continued performance below targets”
The electronic payment system in Ontario (Canada) is costing millions and does not achieve the expected reliability rates to fully eliminate tickets, passes, tokens and cash

PRESTO card reader

The electronic payment system PRESTO, which works across local transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and Ottawa, has a long way to go. According to an internal Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) briefing obtained by Toronto Star newspaper, PRESTO shows “continued performance below targets”. Problems with operating transactions and card readers keep...