ION service now rolling with fare inspectors
Posted Aug 2, 2019 08:10:12 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Over a month into ION service and there are some who may be forgot that the free ride period ended after Canada Day.
Luckily, they are few and far between, according to Peter Zinck, Director of Transit Services, Region of Waterloo.
He tells The Mike Farwell Show on 570 NEWS, thanks to the weeks spent on “educating” and “reminding” and “warning” people, most understand the payment system involved with riding the ION.
It was always in the plans to include fare inspectors, and now fare evaders can expect a $240 future fine.
“They're on the train and approached by one of the fare inspection staff, they would need to show proof of payment, so typically that would be either a transfer from a bus, or your stored value card, or your card which has a pass on it. You simply take that pass, that fare media and you tap it on the fare inspectors' machine.” said Zinck.
“If that doesn't work the customer can explain the situation to the fare inspection staff and they will listen to that information and then assess whether they feel it's valid, like the person legitimately tried to pay the fare, and if it's not then they could get, right now, a warning, a written warning. They could get a ticket. We haven't issued any yet, but we're very close to doing that, and those situations can escalate if you have further non-payment situations.”
Zinck says it's up to the inspectors discretion when it comes to issuing warnings and fines.
