More than 4,500 tickets issued to TTC fare evaders in the last 2 months

In the past two months, 4,549 tickets have been issued to people not paying for their TTC fare.

This comes after Toronto’s Auditor General revealed a months-long investigation into fare evasion on the TTC, which found the transit authority lost more than $60 million in 2018 alone.

Because of this, the TTC’s ability to limit fare increases, deliver service, and maintain the system has been impacted.

To further educate the public about the consequences of not paying a fare, specifically that you can be dinged with a fine of up to $425, the TTC has launched a new fare evasion advertising campaign.

The ads will appear in TTC vehicles and stations, with accompanying videos being displayed on video screens in stations and on platforms.

“I hear from residents daily who are frustrated by the cost of fare evasion for the TTC,” said TTC Chair Jaye Robinson, in a statement.

“Riders who choose not to pay their fares are impacting our ability to deliver transit service to the entire city.”

See also

• TTC lost at least $61 million from fare evasion in 2018: report
• Toronto transit riders use dogs, bags and children's PRESTO cards to avoid paying (VIDEO)
• Group of more than 10 teens caught committing mass TTC fare evasion (VIDEO)

To further cut down fare evasion, the TTC hired 11 new fare inspectors in March, with an additional 15 fare inspectors and 21 transit enforcement officers expected to be hired in July and September.

Further recruitment for both fare inspectors and transit enforcement officers is in progress with targeted deployment later in 2019.

Additionally, the transit agency is looking at high-risk subway entrances, and bus and streetcar routes to support the strategic deployment of fare enforcement staff.

Finally, the TTC is pausing the distribution of complimentary child and youth PRESTO cards to schools until additional measures are in place to prevent the misuse of child PRESTO cards.