Commuters will soon face new measures introduced by OC Transpo to reduce fare fraud.
Recent allegations of a rise in bus tickets – real or fake – being sold to riders waiting at bus stops are unsubstantiated and “blown right out of proportion,” according to Patrick Curran, OC Transpo’s program manager of product management.
Media reports late last month cited an “OC Transpo Community” Live Journal blog that claimed that counterfeit tickets were possibly being sold on downtown Ottawa streets near the Rideau Centre.
“There are maybe a handful of counterfeit tickets in a day,” says Curran, and today’s tickets are all different, printed with fluorescent inks to aid in detecting fakes.
A route 18 bus driver, who could not give his name because of an OC Transpo policy, says he has seen few fake tickets in his 20 years in the driver’s seat. "The problem has been overcome."
In 2006, OC Transpo was hit hard by a ticket counterfeiting scam, losing an estimated $150,000 in 18 months.
The upshot was a full review of transit revenue, resulting in 99 recommendations and an audit including a list of 55 ways people could avoid paying the fare.
That same year, Ottawa City Council approved a long-term solution for possible ticket and pass fraud: a high-tech Presto smartcard fare system.
Last August, the Ontario government pledged the final $7 million to complete the project. The total cost is $21 million.
The new cards are scheduled to be introduced in 2010 and will be fully rolled out by 2011.
The smartcards are intended to replace both tickets and passes once implemented.
Passengers will be able to recharge their cards online. Cash payment will continue to be accepted, and fare inspectors will still be able to check for proof of payment, says Curran.
The new cards will be compatible with Gatineau’s transit system, the STO, which has been using electronic smartcards since 1998.
While smartcards should put an end to much of the potential for abuse, Curran acknowledges that some riders will still sneak onto buses through the back door. “There are always people trying to beat the system,” he says.
OC Transpo fare inspectors can hand out a $150 fine to passengers who haven't paid to ride.
But most days it is easy to walk on without showing anything, admits Jeff Nguyen, a student at the University of Ottawa.
“I usually have a bus pass, but if I don’t, I couldn’t see myself paying for an O-Train ticket. It’s just too expensive.”