"New Yorkers may soon hear a new question during their commute-and it will sound a little more Berlin than Bronx: "Can you show me your phone or your OMNY card?" The MTA has announced plans to roll out a "European-style" fare inspection system aboard city buses, replacing NYPD enforcement with civilian agents, in its latest effort to curb fare evasion."
"Janno Lieber, the MTA's chair and CEO, announced the shift this week, calling it a practical response to a long-running issue: the NYPD doesn't assign enough officers to patrol buses. The subway system already commands most of that staffing, leaving buses with what amounts to an honor system- one that's cost the agency dearly. According to the Citizens Budget Commission, the MTA lost $568 million to unpaid bus fares last year."
"If you've ever watched riders slip in through the back door while the bus idles at a stop or just saunter past a bus driver in the boarding flurry, you know exactly where that number comes from. The problem accelerated during the pandemic, when the MTA temporarily asked riders to board through rear doors to protect drivers. "We never put the toothpaste back in the tube," Lieber said during a press conference on Tuesday."
MTA plans to implement a European-style fare inspection system on city buses that uses civilian fare inspectors to request proof of payment and validate OMNY taps. The change replaces NYPD enforcement because police do not assign enough officers to patrol buses and aims to address an estimated $568 million loss from unpaid bus fares last year. Rear-door boarding during the pandemic accelerated fare evasion by reducing front-door checks. The system removes reliance on turnstiles or paper slips for buses and depends on full OMNY implementation, expected next year, before a broader inspector rollout.
Read at Time Out New York
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