A year into the doubtful practice of all-door boarding on Toronto streetcars, the TTC has found its budget blown to bits by a large drop in ridership. Or, maybe it’s just that a lot of riders aren’t paying. The inclination for many people to cheat at the carefree game of all-door boarding is so obvious it makes City officials look like chumps. Now a poll done by CP24 shows that transit riders admit it. Fully 21 percent of those responding say they do not always pay. Graphic as it is, a poll was not needed to know that this type of cheating is common. So-called fare inspectors checking to see who paid and who didn’t are estimated to interact with a miniscule four percent of the riders. It is a laughable shambles. Councillor Joe Mihevc is demanding that the TTC hire more fare inspectors. Why? How about having motormen and drivers do their jobs and collect fares as people get on. Won’t this slow down loading, some will say. Possibly, but that concern arises because 19th Century streetcars, unlike buses, sit in the middle of the street blocking traffic. The City is trying to run a system of streetcars by the same rules as a subway. The awful truth is that streetcars must generate enough paid business to at least meet the needs of the TTC’s spending. That may mean riders and motorists have to wait while people pay at the front-door fare box.
Im a driver on bus and 7 of every 10 ppl pay. However, school kids are all now under 12 and many have blossomed very very early. Very lityle school zone payers at all.