The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said inspectors will be enforcing fare payment on local buses throughout the city, as about 50% of all bus riders do not pay for their ride.
The MTA said inspectors will ask for riders to exit the bus if payment wasn't made and a summons may be issued, the transit authority said through a press release.
The rate of fare evasion on buses increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the MTA said. In 2020, about 21% of bus riders didn’t pay their fare; now, that number is roughly 50%, the highest rate of fare evasion of any mode of transportation that the MTA operates.
In 2022, The MTA lost about $315 million to fare evasion on buses.
Efforts to combat fare and toll evasion on other MTA services are ongoing. Enforcement of fare payment on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North, and gate guards have been deployed at subway stations to reduce evasion, the agency said.
We have also collaborated with other city and state agencies on joint toll enforcement operations focusing on ghost plates and persistent toll violators.
About a quarter of the MTA’s budget comes from fares paid by riders, the press release said.
The MTA urged New Yorkers to find a way to pay for their ride:
- If you’re over 65 or have a qualifying disability you may qualify for half-price fares through our Reduced Fare program.
- New York City operates the Fair Fares program, which provides half-priced fares to qualifying residents.
- Learn more about fare discount programs.
With Student OMNY Cards, students get four free rides per day—all day, every day, all year round, the MTA said.
