Revenue lost to TTC fare evasion three times greater than agency previously said, auditor general reports
(The Star Environment)

Fare evasion on the TTC is a much more common and costly problem than the transit agency has previously told the public, according to a new report from the city’s auditor general.The report by Auditor General Beverly Romeo-Beehler released Thursday says the portion of riders skipping out on fares is more than twice the figure that the TTC has previously said, and last year unpaid trips resulted in more than $60 million in foregone revenue.The TTC has consistently stated its evasion rate was around 2 per cent and cost the public agency about $20 million annually. It has repeated those figures despite unpublished internal reports that suggested the numbers were significantly higher. Romeo-Beehler’s report concluded the actual evasion rate is roughly 5.4 per cent. The city’s financial watchdog determined evasion cost the TTC $61 million last year, a number that rose to $64 million when lost revenue from malfunctioning Presto fare card equipment owned by the province was factored in. Even the $64-million number “is probably understated,” according to the report, because the auditor was not able to accurately quantify all losses as a result of faulty subway fare gates and the TTC’s fare collecting practices at busy subway stations. TTC Chair Jaye Robinson called the numbers “very unsettling” and said they confirmed her suspicions that evasion is more widespread than the official agency numbers have indicated. Read more:TTC plans to hire dozens of fare inspectors to deter people from skipping out on payingInternal TTC briefing slams Presto’s ‘continued performance below targets’TTC internal report on fare evasion raises red flags over lost revenueRobinson, who is also councillor for Ward 15 (Don Valley West), said it was “long overdue” that evasion rates were “accurately quantified,” and stressed the TTC was committed to acting on the auditor general’s recommendations. R ...