OC Transpo cracking down on Presto fare skippers
GM John Manconi says people who fail to tap card will now get fines, not warnings
The days when transit users could fail to tap their Presto card and escape with only a warning are at an end, OC Transpo's general manager is warning.
"We're out of that period," John Manconi told the city's transit commission on Wednesday.
"If we check your Presto pass -- we have the technology [to do that] -- and you didn't tap, we're going to issue a ticket."
In fact, inspectors did issue two tickets to Presto fare evaders on Monday and Tuesday during a two-day blitz, transit commission heard.
The vast majority of the approximately 1,400 riders asked for proof of payment, however, had properly paid their fares.
During a series of blitzes in 2014, when the Presto card was still relatively new, OC Transpo asked 200,000 riders for proof that they'd paid their fare -- and discovered that more than four percent were riding for free.
Riders who fail to tap their Presto card could face a $150 fine.