[CMQSD402F9011]

Are you saying we should do away with fare inspections entirely? (Those aren't police officers by the way.) Because only poor and low income people use the TTC?

Or should they only fare inspect the non-poor?

I can tell you this. I’ve been on TTC since I was young and I don’t even remember seeing Fare enforcement at subway stations where only bus routes go, certainly not in the 2000s. Like Sheppard West, Finch, and others that don’t have a streetcar route.

 

[urbanclient]

I can tell you this. I’ve been on TTC since I was young and I don’t even remember seeing Fare enforcement at subway stations where only bus routes go, certainly not in the 2000s. Like Sheppard West, Finch, and others that don’t have a streetcar route.

Can you clarify the significance of bus or no bus? Where do you suppose it's more likely that transit users would be lower income?

 

[CMQSD402F9011]

Can you clarify the significance of bus or no bus? Where do you suppose it's more likely that transit users would be lower income?

People who are low income or who couldn’t afford to drive have to rely on transit and remember when Doug Ford banned speed cameras? People who drive aren’t policed btw.

 

[urbanclient]

People who are low income or who couldn’t afford to drive have to rely on transit and remember when Doug Ford banned speed cameras? People who drive aren’t policed btw.

Ok so subway stations that are only fed by buses are where you don't think they should inspect fares. Subway stations fed by GO trains, streetcars, and/or more than one subway line, those are fair game?

For Sheppard West, I have accidentally entered through the bus terminal (there aren't signs expressly prohibiting entering through the closest doors to the parking lot). I ended up having to reach over a Presto gate to tap-in, since I was already in the fare paid zone. Wouldn't surprise me if park and ride people are habitually dodging fares, similar to people walking through Eglinton's bus bays.

The recent fare inspection ramp up was publicized in late April, and that would be a TTC / City choice. Their math seems to show that it would recover more revenue than the cost of labour. Is it fair if speeding drivers are also rarely punished, if ever? Probably not.

However, I don't have any problem with the concept of fare enforcement. Toronto is unlike certain European cities where an extremely high proportion of people can be trusted to pay their fare. Lack of fare enforcement can lead to a transit death spiral:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTS897tcu6Q

And before you say, "transit should be free", I myself am not against the concept of "free" transit, but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L4g8AbfLTM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6md7gny4pY

===================
Here's some recent history on TTC fare inspections:

July 2024: https://globalnews.ca/news/10653887/toronto-transit-fare-evasion/

March 2025: https://www.ttc.ca/news/2025/March/Fare-inspections-expand-to-TTC-bus-network-next-week
March 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/comments/1jevsiv/mandatory_ttc_fare_inspection_ongoing_at_finch/

April 2026: https://nowtoronto.com/news/toronto-commuters-may-now-face-fare-enforcement-on-subways/

May 2026: https://www.ttc.ca/news/2026/May/TT...cks-and-targeting-track-intrusions-as-part-of

 

[CMQSD402F9011]

Ok so subway stations that are only fed by buses are where you don't think they should inspect fares. Subway stations fed by GO trains and more than one subway line, those are fair game?

For stations like Sheppard West, I myself have accidentally entered through the bus terminal (there aren't signs expressly prohibiting entering through the closest doors to the parking lot). I ended up having to reach over a Presto gate to tap-in, since I was already in the fare paid zone. Wouldn't surprise me if park and ride people are habitually dodging fares, similar to people walking through Eglinton's bus bays.

The recent fare inspection ramp up was publicized in late April, and that would be a TTC / City choice. Their math seems to show that it would recover more revenue than the cost of labour. Is it fair if speeding drivers are also rarely punished, if ever? Probably not.

However, I don't have any problem with the concept of fare enforcement. Toronto is unlike certain European cities where an extremely high proportion of people can be trusted to pay their fare. Lack of fare enforcement can lead to a transit death spiral:

And before you say, "transit should be free", I myself am not against the concept of "free" transit, but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution.

===================
Here's some recent history on TTC fare inspections:

July 2024: https://globalnews.ca/news/10653887/toronto-transit-fare-evasion/

March 2025: https://www.ttc.ca/news/2025/March/Fare-inspections-expand-to-TTC-bus-network-next-week
March 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/comments/1jevsiv/mandatory_ttc_fare_inspection_ongoing_at_finch/

April 2026: https://nowtoronto.com/news/toronto-commuters-may-now-face-fare-enforcement-on-subways/

May 2026: https://www.ttc.ca/news/2026/May/TT...cks-and-targeting-track-intrusions-as-part-of

I mean have you ridden TTC in the 2000s and early 2010s? Because I don’t even recall or remember seeing Fare enforcement at subway stations at Sheppard West, Finch, Sheppard-Yonge and other stations where they don’t connect to streetcar routes. Perhaps the times were a lot different compared to nowadays with people complaining of cost of living and other stuff.

 

[urbanclient]

I mean have you ridden TTC in the 2000s and early 2010s? Because I don’t even recall or remember seeing Fare enforcement at subway stations at Sheppard West, Finch, Sheppard-Yonge and other stations where they don’t connect to streetcar routes. Perhaps the times were a lot different compared to nowadays with people complaining of cost of living and other stuff.

Not enough to comment on it. I haven't lived in the City of Toronto for long. But I have experienced the subway cars with orange-yellow vinyl seats (among others) and CLRVs a couple dozen times. I've been fare inspected on GO trains a couple times, and Union subway station a few times in the last 6 years, that's about it. Incidentally I was inspected twice at Paris CDG's RER B terminus station by inspectors accompanied by armed cops. Some unlucky university aged kids got caught. Very easy to miss the tap-on machines because that particular station is proof of payment with no turnstiles.

If it's any consolation, at least the POOs and TTC Special Constables don't carry firearms or tazers, certainly not during fare inspections.

I suspect Finch, Shep. West etc... those are potential fare evasion hotspots due to having an open bus terminal anyone can walk in from. I don't think it's unfairly targeting "poor" bus riders. It's targeting fare dodging park and riders entering from the bus bays.