Twin Cities’ Metro Transit cracks down on fare-paying

(Photo: Metro Transit)(Photo: Metro Transit)

Minnesota’s Metro Transit has begun implementing a system to help the transit determine when and where riders are not paying, according to the Star Tribune.

The system involves drivers on three of the busiest bus routes entering information into a computer when a customer doesn’t pay the full fare. Metro Transit began the 10-day test Saturday.

Metro Transit spokesperson John Siqveland said the transit is considering using the data to catch people who aren’t paying to ride.

“If the data set is good, we may use it for working with Metro Transit police and say that Route X has high cases of fare evasion and it’s this stop and this stop and at these times,” Siqveland said, not identifying specific routes.

Though certain groups of people–including children, veterans, police officers and others–are allowed to ride for free, plenty of customers who should be paying are not doing so.

According to the Star Tribune report, about 4 percent of the 68 million people who rode Metro Transit buses in 2012 did not pay, while police issued more than 10,000 citations and warnings to riders who did not pay.