Taking aim at GO Transit fare evaders, Premier Doug Ford’s government is proposing dramatically increased fines of up to $500.
The move is one of a suite of legislative changes introduced Monday that would also allow single-occupant vehicles to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes during off-peak hours — something critics have warned could worsen congestion.
On the GO system, first offence fines would rise to $200 from $35, while second offences would cost $300, an increase from $50. A third offence fine rises to $400 from $100 and a fourth offence to $500, up from $200.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the fines are increasing because GO Transit penalties are lower than those on the TTC.
“It’s unfair to those who pay every day when you have individuals that are, in a sense, cheating the system,” he told a news conference.
“We want to come down hard on that.”
GO estimates 5.1 per cent of its rail passengers are fare evaders, costing the system $21 million in lost revenue a year. More fare inspectors — known officially as “revenue protection officers” are being added to a staff of 47. Currently, about 2.3 per cent of all passengers are checked.
Other changes in the proposed “Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act” would set the stage for further “transit fare and service integration” in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, standardize designs for new GO stations, streamline the building code and prohibit municipalities from imposing development standards — such as green standards — that go “beyond what is required for health and safety.”
Building on the existing One Fare system with a goal of making transit more “seamless” across municipal boundaries, the legislation could require transit agencies to put in place common fares and free transfers.
Acknowledging that this could result in lost revenue for some transit systems, Sarkaria said there would be a “very consultative process.”
As well, non-profit retirement homes would be exempted from development charges levied by municipal governments to lower construction costs and boost the supply of housing for seniors. This is already in place in the nursing home sector.
