Financial losses, risk of violence

A dispute between a Winnipeg Transit driver and a passenger who refused to pay his fare put the fear into other riders this week and highlights a nagging issue union leaders say costs the service millions in revenue annually.

“I wasn’t worried for my personal safety, but I did wonder if this could escalate, what could happen?” said one passenger, a man in his 60s, who didn’t want his name used.

“You’re in a closed space and there’s nowhere you can go.”

The passenger said the bus stopped near Chief Peguis Junior High School on Rothesay Street Wednesday morning and a man, who appeared to be in his late teens or early 20s, boarded the bus.

“Right from early on he became very animated,” he said, describing how an argument broke out over payment. The man insulted and swore at the driver.

“The driver asked him to leave. He wouldn’t. Instead, he stormed to the back of the bus near me and took a seat — still yelling and swearing about having no money.”

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 produced figures Thursday that suggest there were as many as 4.4 million instances of fare evasion and underpayment last year.

Additionally, fare evasion cost Winnipeg Transit up to $6.7 million in revenue from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2022, the union said.

The union obtained the data through freedom of information requests filed with Winnipeg Transit, which collects raw data from fare machines. Precise monetary figures for the loss of revenue in 2023 are not yet available, a union spokesperson said.

“Fare evasion not only results in financial losses, which can negatively impact the level of service provided, but also contributes to a heightened risk of violent encounters,” union president Chris Scott said in a statement.

“Our members have been subject to incidents where fare disputes quickly escalate into aggressive behaviour, posing a threat to the safety and well-being of both transit operators and passengers.”

The union estimates roughly 60 per cent of driver safety incidents logged so far this year have involved passengers who refused to pay the fare; last year the number was as high as 75 per cent, it said.

“It’s important to note that these statistics only pertain to incidents involving operators, and there are additional incidents involving violence against passengers.”

At the time of the Rothesay incident, roughly 15 passengers were onboard. Instead of continuing on the route, the bus remained at the stop for up to 10 minutes while the operator was on the phone — possibly calling for security reinforcements, the unnamed passenger said.

At least one person, a young woman, got off the bus. While another man said he felt trapped inside, he said.

The passenger tried to de-escalate the situation by offering to pay for the man’s fare, but the driver declined to take it.

“(The Transit driver) said he had to phone it in because this person had been aggressive and unruly,” he said.

The passenger stressed he was not criticising the driver, who he said has an exceedingly difficult job.

“I’m sure this happens many times a day, more than once a day,” he said. “We’re all supposed to pay, it’s not like (the unruly passenger) should get a free ride or his behaviour should be excused. The driver was in a tough predicament.”

Eventually, the man left the bus. He stood on the road for roughly three minutes, further delaying the trip, before walking away, the passenger said.

While operators are trained to monitor fare payment and inform passengers about the proper fare, they are advised not to refuse a person transportation if they cannot pay.

Alternatively, they may ask the person to pay double the next time they ride, a City of Winnipeg spokesperson said in an email statement.

The spokesperson said data about 2023 revenue losses related to fare evasion was not available Thursday.

“Unfortunately, we have encountered challenges with accurately tracking fare underpayment and are unable to provide the data requested.”

Scott said the union has high expectations for the newly deployed Transit safety team, whose job is expected to include fare enforcement.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca