Nearly half of NYC bus riders evade payment, MTA pays $300m annually
Transit officials have announced that more than 2 million people ride the MTA’s buses every weekday, yet almost half of these riders are not paying their fares.
This alarming trend, highlighted in a report by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Wednesday, shows that approximately 47% of bus riders evaded payment during the first quarter of 2024.
The financial impact of this fare evasion is staggering. Last year alone, the MTA lost an estimated $300 million due to unpaid bus fares, exacerbating the already dire fiscal challenges faced by the agency. This growing issue threatens to further destabilize the MTA’s financial health, prompting urgent calls for action.
In response to the escalating crisis, the MTA plans to intensify its enforcement efforts.
John McCarthy, an MTA spokesperson, outlined a robust strategy that includes deploying more NYPD officers and additional MTA fare enforcement agents onto buses.
McCarthy emphasized the necessity of devising a new enforcement mechanism to effectively combat fare evasion and secure the agency’s revenue streams.
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