Teams of fare inspectors in plain clothes began patrolling the transit system and issuing tickets on Wednesday as part of the TTC’s efforts to reduce the estimated $140 million lost to fare evasion each year.
All plain clothes inspectors are carrying ID and are equipped with body-worn cameras to record customer interactions, the transit commission said in a release.
It added that inspectors will use discretion, whether in uniform or plain clothes, to ensure tickets are predominantly issued in cases of "willful evasion".
Tickets for not paying for a bus, streetcar or subway ride range from $235 to $425 depending on the nature of the offence. That money goes to the courts, not directly to the transit service.
The transit service said the approach was previously tested in 2018 and re-introduced three weeks ago with plain-clothes inspectors "educating" those found to be riding illegally.
The move to now begin writing tickets is part of a pilot project that will be reevaluated in January, according to TTC media relations.
I'd like to know more about how they estimate financial losses due to fare evasion
Perhaps modern technogy could ticket them with cameras, similar to a red light or speed camera.
Lol
Drivers in the toronto area are so entitled to drive like shitheads, they literally destroy any cameras enforcing speed/red lights
Put the cameras on the trams and heavily fine anyone that attempts to vandalize it.
Toronto will do anything other than inconvenience drivers or hold them accountable
I don't work for TTC but another transit agency. I mentioned to my union rep that we should be using the cameras WE ALREADY HAVE (in case we get into accidents) to record when people do shit like this in front of our buses, and they said that was a really good idea. I also submitted a service enhancement form to management to suggest this very idea.
You know what their response was?
"It is a privacy concern."
Yes, taking pictures of license plates, WHICH ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO BE DISPLAYED WHEN ON PUBLIC ROADS, is somehow considered to be a PRIVACY ISSUE by a PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCY.
This is what our management is like. Suffice to say, I've given up on expecting anything better anytime soon.
Wouldn't it already be a privacy concern if you're currently recording people? How would this be any different than footage of someone driving into the side of your bus?
I don't know, but that's management's excuse. It's their right to manage, even if it's a shit job.
Like I said, it's exhausting dealing with people who are just absolutely disconnected from driving conditions on these roads. And to me, it seems like management is perfectly okay with closing their eyes to the issue.