Hundreds of riders have been caught not paying the fare to board OC Transpo buses and the O-Train so far this year, according to a new report.
The Transit Committee received an update on the transit service’s fare compliance initiative Monday afternoon, which includes 12 fare inspectors working on OC Transpo buses and the O-Train network. The fine for not paying the fare is $260.
Statistics show OC Transpo fare inspectors issued 613 tickets in January and 530 tickets in February to people not paying the fare to use public transit in Ottawa.
Of the 1,143 tickets issued in January and February, 836 tickets were issued at rail stations and 214 tickets were issued at OC Transpo bus stations.
A total of 4,309 tickets were issued in 2024, when OC Transpo conducted a focused fare compliance initiative to crack down on fare evasion.
“We know it’s prevalent,” Sabrina Pasian, OC Transpo’s chief safety officer, said when asked about cracking down on riders not paying the transit fare.
“We absolutely know it’s a problem.”
Pasian told councillors that fare revenue is a vital part of the funding model for transit.
OC Transpo employs transit fare enforcement officers to enforce fare compliance. The fare enforcement program was expanded last year with eight new temporary fare inspectors, for a total of 12 across the network. Staff say the temporary positions were extended to the end of 2025.
The crackdown on fare evasion comes as OC Transpo faces a $120 million budget shortfall in 2025. This transit service’s budget includes $1 million in revenue from fare enforcement fines.
The Toronto Transit Commission is expanding its fare enforcement program, with commuters being asked to show proof-of-payment on buses and the subway station.
With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Ted Raymond
