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...

Public transport use changes during Covid-19 in Barcelona
Ridership is down by an average 90% in Barcelona and surroundings in the past month

barcelona_subway_nicolas-mejia-cHwPldOz2No-unsplash

Travelling by public transport in Barcelona is restricted to essential journeys only as the city maintains Covid-19 restrictions. Local transit agencies now use their communication budgets urging people to stay at home. Ridership declined as much as 95% on some days. During the two-week period of total lockdown between March 30 – April 12,...

Transport for London (TfL) fares to remain unchanged for fourth consecutive year
However prices for daily and weekly fare caps, plus weekly, monthly and annual travel cards will rise by 2.8% in 2020

London_Bus_paul-fiedler-MXPvr4L6nT8-unsplash_2

London’s mayor Mr. Sadiq Khan announced on November 16, 2019 that prices for trips on bus, tram, train and subway will remain the same until the end of 2020. However there will be a 2.8% rise for daily fare caps and for weekly, monthly and annual travel cards. According to a mayor’s office spokesperson,...

Helsinki’s HSL to cut long-distance ticket prices and increase penalty fares
Residents living in peripheral areas will benefit mostly from the price cuts which will come into effect starting 2020

helsinki_tram_tapio-haaja-I9SWvZ9sO2U-unsplash_1 (1)

As stated by HSL’s Executive Director Suvi Rihtniemi in a recent press release, the price cuts come as a measure aimed at helping to cut carbon emissions, : “This is the first time in our 10-year history we make such significant fare cuts. We will lower the fares for the longest journeys, as switching...

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

chile_santiago_subway_john-paul-henry-rUmM2QbAfJI-unsplash_1

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...

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

sncf_access_gates_train_station_paris

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...

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

Subway station in Lyon

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...

Buying tickets onboard costs 150,000 hours yearly in Paris
The city will launch a new bus network on April 20th to improve bus regularity and increase speed

Buying tickets onboard costs time

Buying tickets onboard implies a serious waste of time. Paris bus journeys lose 150,000 hours every year to drivers selling transport tickets. Consequently, Ile-de-France Mobilités has launched a three-week campaign to encourage travellers to buy their ticket before taking the bus.  The aim is to save time and money, as well as facilitating bus...

Metro de Madrid open fare gates project keeps growing
33 stations keep the fare gates open and only close when a person does not validate the ticket

Open fare gates at Metro del Madrid Metro de Madrid

Last year, Metro de Madrid launched an open fare gates pilot test, keeping the fare gates permanently open for customers, and closing only when someone tries to pass through without validating their ticket. The trial started in February 2018 at Alsacia station and continued at four other stations in late March. Currently, 33 stations...