SEPTA Launches New Fare Evasion Enforcement Blitz
SEPTA is cracking down on fare jumpers with their new ‘fare evasion enforcement blitz’.
SEPTAÂ showed off it’s process on how they are stopped said fare jumpers Friday morning in Philadelphia’s Kensington section.
Fare evasion costs SEPTA tens of millions of dollars every year. To combat this, SEPTA is sending a message to riders in an effort to crack down on the high rate of fare evaders getting through the system. Those who skip paying the fare could be hit with a $300 fine.
“Some have unfortunately gotten in the habit of not paying,” Andrew Busch, a spokesperson for SEPTA, said. “They’re either getting around the turnstiles.”Â
It’s not only a financial burden on SEPTA, but it also places an unfair load on paying riders like Donatta Booker, who do their part every day.
“There was a time when people wouldn’t think to get on the bus and not pay,” Booker told CBS Philadelphia. “I believe it’s disrespectful to those of us who work hard and have to get to and from work.”
Since launching its enforcement blitz last week and deploying officers to Huntingdon Station in Kensington, SEPTA has seen a 200% increase in sales at that station alone, according to Andrew Busch
“Nobody tried to evade the fairs while our officers were there,” Busch said. “Instead, they engaged in conversations.”
The SEPTA evasion station is currently in the Huntingdon station, but each week, the blitz will go to a different station on the Market-Frankford, Broad Street, Regional Rail and trolley lines. That means riders will see officers on duty from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. over the next few months.
“The goal is to make sure that people are paying,” Busch said.
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SEPTA Launches New Fare Evasion Enforcement Blitz was originally published on ronernbphilly.staging.go.ione.nyc
