Summary
New York City buses will soon have civilian fare inspectors checking if passengers have paid their fare after boarding. This change is to address bus fare evasion, which cost the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) hundreds of millions of dollars in 2024.
Key Facts
- The MTA will require passengers on New York City buses to show proof of fare payment after boarding.
- Civilian fare inspectors, not police, will check tickets, similar to systems in some European cities.
- Bus fare evasion cost the MTA about $568 million in 2024.
- The New York Police Department (NYPD) is currently focused on subway fare evasion.
- The MTA has already caught over 370 fare evaders on selected high-evasion routes since introducing inspection teams.
- The rise in fare evasion is linked to relaxed rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The new fare enforcement will start once the OMNY contactless payment system is fully implemented by 2026.
