City bus riders that cannot break a buck to pay their fare may soon face arrest.
That after New York City Transit Authority President Andy Byford rolled out a plan that includes putting cops on buses to curb fare evasion. The current penalty for fare evasion is arrest or a $100 ticket through Transit Adjudication Bureau (TAB) summonses. If arrested and convicted for fare beating, riders can be charged with a misdemeanor.
The current fare for a ride on MTA local or limited bus is $2.75 – the same as the subway. However, unlike subway entrances, riders without a MetroCard must pay in exact coin change only. If they board the bus with paper money, and the driver refuses to let them ride because they can’t pay the fare in exact change, they are either forced off the bus or often they are left to walk up and down the bus asking riders if they can make change for paper money.
However, Byford claims the proposal is aimed at improving the city’s bus service and not criminalizing individuals who don’t have exact change.
“We are absolutely opposed to unfair enforcement which is why our efforts are so focused on prevention and deterrence, not arrests. Fare evasion costs the MTA $225 million per year and harms New Yorkers of all income levels who pay the fare and want better service, which is why we have proposed a wide range of solutions, “ said Byford.
Byford said launching a police presence on buses in partnership with the New York Police Department (NYPD) is just one of several solutions the city’s transit authority is offering up to curb bus fare evasion rate which was 18.4% or a $128 million revenue loss last year.
Other solutions include increased video surveillance, expansion of NYC Transit personnel like the Eagle Teams at fare paying areas, and all-door boarding through a contactless payment system/ proof-of-payment system that will facilitate more effective enforcement action.
However, it is the proposal of a police presence that has many transit advocates and State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend) criticising the idea as a form of “stop and frisk” police tactics used under the Bloomberg administration that disproportionately affected underprivileged and minority communities.
“The MTA’s blame game on fare evaders and subsequent plan to place more police officers on city buses misses the mark. Rather than criminalizing poverty and placing already overburdened police officers on already overcrowded buses, the MTA should be focusing on expanding all-door boarding options on all bus lines, which has already been shown to limit fare evasion on SBS (Select Bus Service) routes. We need mass transit that moves people, not one that seeks to lock them up,” said Gounardes.
The proposal does have the support of bus operators including Transit Workers Union Local 100, who believe police presence will ensure safety and efficiency.
“We absolutely support having a police presence on buses. Not only will that deter fare beating but it will deter assaults on our bus operators who just want to do their jobs and go home to their families unharmed,’ said TWU Local 100 spokesperson Pete Donohue.
