MTA Bus © Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK
© Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK
(New York, NY) — New Yorkers who ride MTA buses everyday are not surprised at all to hear about a new report, that finds nearly half of riders don’t pay the fare when they get onboard each day. The “New York Times” found 48 percent of riders across the city ride for free, walking past the driver without paying. Commuters in the Bronx say they see people boarding buses for free every single day. MTA drivers say fare evasion is so bad now that it’s almost comical. They also say they don’t want to be enforcers when riders refuse to pony up the fare. The Times say around 17 percent of subway riders jump the turn style on an average day.
The MTA has promised to ramp up enforcement, putting more fare inspectors out on the streets. The skyrocketing number of fare evaders comes at a time when the MTA says it has major infrastructure projects it needs to tackle.
