According to the statistics from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York, nearly half of the bus passengers have the habit of fare evasion, leading to financial burdens. Recently, MTA has collaborated with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to mobilize law enforcement units to crack down on fare evasion in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. They are issuing fines to individuals caught evading fares.
On Thursday morning (29th), the Acting Chair of the MTA Subway Authority, Demetrius Crichlow, alongside Michael Kemper, the Chief of the Transit Bureau, and the special reconnaissance team of the NYPD Transit Bureau known as “EAGLE,” appeared at Grand Concourse and Fordham Rd in the Bronx to conduct operations to control bus fare evasion.
The “EAGLE” team members are not only stationed at bus exits checking tickets but also entering buses to educate passengers on the concept of paying for bus rides. In addition to the Bronx, the “EAGLE” team has also been spotted in East Harlem in Manhattan, inspecting fares and issuing fines to passengers on the M96 bus route at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 96th Street.
Next, the “EAGLE” team members in charge of investigating bus fare evasion will patrol randomly in the five administrative districts of New York City in uniforms or plainclothes. The public should be prepared mentally: if you want to take the bus, pay the fare.
Chief Kemper of the NYPD Transit Bureau mentioned in an interview with Pix11 that officers have been on duty on Staten Island, Manhattan, and South Bronx with plans to issue fines in other areas in the coming days.
Before the pandemic, the bus fare evasion rate in MTA buses was around 20%. During the pandemic, the situation worsened due to difficulties in enforcement. Recent statistics released by MTA show that approximately 48% of bus passengers have been evading fares just this summer alone, with nearly a million passengers riding for free every day.
For MTA, which has temporarily lost $1 billion in annual revenue from fare evasion, bus fare evasion has become a financial burden.
Acting Chair Crichlow of the MTA Subway Authority stated to the media, “Efforts are indeed needed to discourage those who are unwilling to spend money on buying bus tickets.”
Therefore, while law enforcement personnel are checking fares, they are also distributing cards advocating for the “Fair Fares NYC MetroCard” to passengers. This initiative encourages low-income individuals to take advantage of the government’s half-price ticket discounts during times of sufficient city funding. Learn more about the Fair Fares program at: [Fair Fares NYC MetroCard](https://www.nyc.gov/site/fairfares/index.page)