Fare evasion prosecutions fall 96% in New York
Despite the decrease in arrests, fare evasion is still high and costed MTA $215 million in 2018

Fare evasion prosecutions fall at MTA

In February 2018, New York’s District Attorney Office introduced a new policy which decriminalized fare evasion by shifting from court citations to administrative fines. The objective was to “reduce inequality and unnecessary incarceration” for skipping a fare of $2.75 at Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA). A year later, statistics show a drop of 96% fare...

Brussels Metro installs double validation system to reduce fare evasion
From now on passengers will have to validate tickets both when entering and when exiting stations

Check out gates at Brussels metro

Travellers on Brussels Metro must now validate their tickets both at entry and at exit points at stations, similar to the city’s Premetro system. Starting this month, Brussels’ public transport operator STIB-MIVB installed new gates at one station, with 15 more stations planned to be ready by the end of 2018. The Metro a...

SNCF intensifies its anti-fraud strategy
The French operator will deploy mobile teams of 2 to 8 agents at trains and stations in Occitanie to reduce its 11% fare evasion rate

Anti-fraud strategy reinforce at SNCF

Fare evasion rate in SNCF Occitanie trains is 11%. This amounts to an annual loss of 8 million euros, equivalent to a TER of last generation. In order to tackle this issue, the French operator will reinforce its anti-fraud strategy. Starting December 9th,  SNCF will set up a new customer service organization at stations...

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...

MBTA postpones fare gates deployment in commuter rail platforms
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will wait until 2021 to make it coincide with the installation of the all-electronic payment

MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is postponing its plan to install new fare gates in commuter rail platforms. The reason is the all-electronic payment system scheduled for 2021. The transport agency believes it makes more sense to wait and deploy both systems at the same time. Fare gates were scheduled for early this...

Full height gates to discourage fare evasion
BART is considering investing $200 million to replace its waist high fare gates for a higher barrier infrastructure

@SFBART

After implementing a proof of payment program last March, BART continues seeking measures to tackle fare evasion. The San Francisco Bay Area’ rapid transport operator is now considering replacing its waist high doors for full height gates. The objective is to discourage people from trespassing fare gates without a valid ticket. 22,000 people skip...

Auckland strengthens fare enforcement
Since June 18th, transport officers can issue fines of $150 to fare-dodgers

Auckland strengthens fare enforcement Auckland Transport

Auckland has given more power to transport officers to strengthen fare enforcement. Changes to the Land Transport Act and new regulations that came into force on June 18th allow controllers to issue infringement notices to passengers who do not carry tickets. Before the new law, officers could ask to see a passenger’s ticket, but could...

Hands-free ticketing trialing in Singapore
A six-month pilot test is running at four MTR stations to make it easier for people with disabilities to enter and exit

Hands-free ticketing testing in Singapore

Singapore is testing a new hands-free ticketing technology to make it easier for people with disabilities to enter and exit stations.  The trial, which started late June, will run for six months in four MRT stations and involves 50 participants. The trial will allow Land Transport Authority (LTA) to assess the effectiveness and feasibility...

BART’s proof of payment program shows initial limited results
San Francisco Bay Area’s rapid transport operator cited 1,300 fare evaders in two months, but only about 100 have paid the fine

BART’s proof of payment program to crackdown fare evasion has shown unsatisfactory results for its first two months of implementation.

BART’s proof of payment program to crackdown fare evasion has shown unsatisfactory results for its first two months of implementation. Between March and April, the rapid transit public transportation system serving the San Francisco Bay Area (California) cited 1,300 fare evaders. However, only about 100 paid up. BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas evaluated the...