NYC transit to target bus freeloading

New York City transit officials want to put a stop to bus freeloaders. Transit officials say data they collected shows about 130,000 riders board buses without paying. That means the public transportation

News 12 Staff

Sep 3, 2008, 11:27 PM

Updated 5,944 days ago

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New York City transit officials want to put a stop to bus freeloaders.
Transit officials say data they collected shows about 130,000 riders board buses without paying. That means the public transportation system could be losing out on millions of dollars, money it could use to shore up its sagging budget.
Joseph Smith, the vice president of NYC Transit, says the agency has identified the worst routes and bus stops, the lion's share of which are in the Bronx and Brooklyn. But the agency still has not formally implemented a plan to stop fare beating.
"The kids jump through the back door and when a senior gets on, they won't give them a ride because the teens are rowdy and rude," says Coco Adams, who commutes by bus.
Entering buses through rear doors is a common tactic of fare evaders. Drivers are told not to stop the freeloaders to avoid being assaulted. And Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials say it's not only kids who are breaking the law. They say fare beaters can be any age and come from all walks of life.