SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Company is catching extra individuals making an attempt to trip totally free as fare inspectors are speaking to twice as many passengers as they have been a 12 months in the past.
And, in lots of instances, it leads to fines of greater than $100
With SFMTA in a monetary crisis- each greenback, each honest, counts.
On Friday, ABC7 watched as rider after rider paid whereas getting onto the 38 Geary Muni bus.
We talked to Muni riders and and requested them what they do.
Suzanne Phan: “Are you taking the bus? Are you going to pay?”
Vivien Salayou: San Francisco resident: “After all…I at all times pay.”
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Vivien Salayou and her auntie used their lifeline go and their senior card to pay. They acquired on, with no drawback.
A brand new SFMTA report back to be launched on April 15 exhibits the company’s crackdown on fare evasion is paying off.
Earlier than the pandemic, 12% Muni riders did not pay, in accordance with SFMTA.
This previous 12 months, the quantity was means up.
The newest SFMTA report says fare evasion was at an all-time excessive July 2024 at almost 30%.
SFMTA says since then, they’ve seen that quantity drop… as they rent on extra transit fare inspectors.
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The SFMTA report states they “almost doubled TFI (Transit Fare Inspector) productiveness over 12 months” and “elevated inspections per hour by 86%”
It goes onto say that SFMTA “elevated passenger inspections by 100%” originally of fiscal 12 months 2025.
SFMTA launched this temporary assertion to ABC7 writing:
“Riders inform us that seen fare evasion is a critical concern. When riders pay their fares, they assist Muni service.”
Based on the company, fares make up 7% of their finances.
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We requested a Muni rider if transit fare inspectors make a distinction.
“I do not assume it is making sufficient of a distinction. It simply catches the actually unfortunate folks that perhaps that day did not reload their clipper card,” stated Stephano Tsutsumi from San Francisco.
Krystal Francis was ready for her Muni bus once we caught as much as her.
Suzanne Phan: “How many individuals have you ever seen not pay once they take the bus?”
Krystal Francis: “Sadly, lots.”
She says inspectors are doing their jobs and that guidelines are there for a purpose. “Ensuring somebody pays once they’re purported to. That is how its purported to be,” she stated. “Guidelines are guidelines.”
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