Thousands of fare evaders denied rides since bus crackdown began

Thousands of would-be bus passengers have been turned away since the city started cracking down on riders who don’t pay their fares in September.

Since then, 7,614 people were either denied rides or walked away before being prompted to pay, the City of Winnipeg said Wednesday.

The city said 931 warnings have been issued and that 359 riders paid after being asked. The warnings were given out by safety officers for fare-related issues.

Winnipeg Transit inspectors have made more than 6,800 fare checks since September, and safety officers have spent more than 1,400 hours enforcing issues.

The Winnipeg Police Service said on Nov. 6 that its officers have made nine arrests under the Criminal Code and intervened in 41 fare-evasion incidents since it began placing more of its officers on and around buses in September.

The transit service loses an estimated $7 million to $10 million to fare evasion each year.