Transit Police will start giving advance warning of where they will set up enforcement blitzes to nab transit fare cheaters.
Spokesperson Anne Drennan said public notice of fare checks through the media, on the web and via Twitter will begin in September as TransLink intensifies its efforts to combat fare cheating and make those who are caught pay their fines.
“We think if we advise people where we’re going to be doing our fare checks they will realize we are out there in force and they have to buy their fare tickets or they’ll be getting violation tickets,” she said.
She said it’s a similar tactic to police telling the public locations of speed traps – while it may help violators dodge a ticket the greater publicity increases awareness, hopefully improving compliance.
Drennan also noted the publicized blitzes aren’t the only spots fare cheats could be caught.
“Just because certain people might avoid the places where we’re particularly ramping up our enforcement doesn’t mean they won’t be checked at other locations.”
New provincial legislation also takes effect in September giving TransLink wider powers to go after violators, most of whom did not pay their $173 fines.