The transit service for the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area is now using police officers to enforce bus fare payments, amid 70% of riders not paying and losing nearly $50 million annually in recent years, according to news reports.
“We’re not interested in citations. We’re not interested in arrests. The less citations and less arrests, that’s success for us. We just want people to pay their fair share.”
-Randy Clarke, GM Washington MTA
– Coppers at bus doors
– Undercover officers issuing citations to riders who enter the bus without paying
-Several passengers have reportedly been arrested in connection with confrontations with police over not paying.
-Agency is using data to determine the routes with the highest fare evasion rates
-Percentage of riders not paying significantly increased after the COVID-19 pandemi