Warning: Transit Fines $250 Starting Today

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

I don't think fair evasion is fare to those of us who pay.

[CaramonLS]

Say you decrease fare evasion by 5% (so you increase the number of people that pay from a fictional 90% to 95%).

Based on the ridership of CT, that could be between 15,000 - 25,000 per day of revenue.

That would be a lot of dough to leave on the table.

[mykalberta]

The problem is the rush periods where the trains are so packed that transit officers likely couldnt make it through the train. What do you do at those times, because that is likely your highest fare evasion % because people know its difficult to catch people.

[Maccalus]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

The problem is the rush periods where the trains are so packed that transit officers likely couldnt make it through the train. What do you do at those times, because that is likely your highest fare evasion % because people know its difficult to catch people.

That is when they set up at the entrances to the stations. You need a fare to be on the platform, not just the train. They do it occasionally.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

I don't think fair evasion is fare to those of us who pay.

What a farey.

[TorqueDog]

I am pretty well taking the C-Train daily without paying a dime.

Living and working at each end of the free-fare zone rocks.

[Yanda]

Originally Posted by Maccalus

That is when they set up at the entrances to the stations. You need a fare to be on the platform, not just the train. They do it occasionally.

If you see them do this just get back on the train, get off at the next stop and ask someone you know to help you get your car. Easily avoidable ticket.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Yanda

If you see them do this just get back on the train, get off at the next stop and ask someone you know to help you get your car. Easily avoidable ticket.

Really? Having just avoided a $250 fine you still wouldn't just buy a $2.75 ticket to return to the station where you parked?

[Yanda]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Really? Having just avoided a $250 fine you still wouldn't just buy a $2.75 ticket to return to the station where you parked?

Do you carry exact change with you all the time? Im sure people dont go out of there way carrying little ziplock bags of $5.50 with them to work everyday...

[ken0042]

The machines will give change, as well as take debit and credit cards.
http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/ticket_machines.html

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Yanda

Do you carry exact change with you all the time? Im sure people dont go out of there way carrying little ziplock bags of $5.50 with them to work everyday...

Most adults have things called Money and credit cards that allow them to buy things called tickets.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

The problem is the rush periods where the trains are so packed that transit officers likely couldnt make it through the train. What do you do at those times, because that is likely your highest fare evasion % because people know its difficult to catch people.

I have seen them check people after they get off the trains at Anderson. Once on the platform you are in a fair paid zone. Now they can't check everyone like they do on the train but they seemed fairly busy wiriting tickets having an officer at each exit to the platform.

The only time I couldn't buy a ticket was before they took credit cards and all I had lying around the house was dimes and nickels. I put in my money and got up to 1.80 or so before the machine dumped out all of my money. Apparently there is a maximum number of coins the machine can take and I had exceeded it. Now with credit card payment there is no excuse.

[Magnum PEI]

I used to never pay. Never got caught, rarely saw any transit cops checking. Then I had a U-pass and around the same time noticed more officers. Now I pay every time. Since January I bet I've been checked on 1/3 of all trips.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Rush hour is probably the peak of fare evaders, and as has been mentioned it is beyond impossible to fully check tickets on the train. Having officers at the end of the platform helps, but does the cost justify the benefit?

[Daradon]

I do wonder that if making the fines too high it will actually bring in less money because people simply won't pay it.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Yanda

Do you carry exact change with you all the time? Im sure people dont go out of there way carrying little ziplock bags of $5.50 with them to work everyday...

Originally Posted by ken0042

The machines will give change, as well as take debit and credit cards.
http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/ticket_machines.html

This is finally a massive improvement and eliminates a lot of the excuses. Well, not even just excuses, there were real problems. I know many times I just jumped on the train cause I didn't have enough change.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Daradon

I do wonder that if making the fines too high it will actually bring in less money because people simply won't pay it.

More than that even, I wonder how many people will fight the ticket to the bitter end, thus tying up more resources in the court system. That could offset any benefit from increased fine revenue.

[albertGQ]

fair =/= fare

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Daradon

I do wonder that if making the fines too high it will actually bring in less money because people simply won't pay it.

I wonder what percentage of the tickets actually get paid?

I like the system they have in Germany. The ticket checkers aren't in uniform, they just carry an ID card, and if you get caught without a valid fare, the fine is 40 €, payable on the spot.

I traveled around Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic for three weeks last fall, and they all have a similar honor-system with checks that Calgary Transit uses, and I was only checked one time. So, it would have been cheaper to just pay the 40 € fine one time than paying the fare each time.

The one time I did get checked, he caught someone just a few seats away. The guy who was caught was an older man who was very angry about it. When the train stopped at the next station, they both got off, and the last I saw of them, the guy was loudly arguing with the ticket checker, and every time he stopped talking, the ticket checker would just say "Vierzig Euro".

[burn_this_city]

If you don't pay a transit fine you get a warrant for your arrest.