Fare evasion penalties will spike dramatically next month on GO Transit and UP Express, with serial offenders potentially facing thousands of dollars in accumulative fines.
In a release, Metrolinx says the increased penalties will go into effect on Sept. 8, 2026.
The escalating fines would hit repeat evaders hardest, with penalties progressively increasing from $200, up to $1,000 for sixth and subsequent offences.
Metrolinx says if you travel without valid proof of payment, you will face the following fines:
- First offence: $200
- Second offence: $300
- Third offence: $400
- Fourth offence: $500
- Fifth offence: A Provincial Offence Notice with a set fine established by the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice
- Sixth and subsequent offences: A court summons with fines of up to $1,000 upon conviction
That’s a big jump from the following fines currently in effect:
- First offence: $35
- Second offence: $50
- Third offence: $100
- Fourth and subsequent offences: A provincial offences summons alongside a $200 fine
In a staff report proposing the change, Metrolinx said the increased fines would result in “higher voluntary compliance, fewer repeat offences, and lower fare evasion.”
Metrolinx staff projected the increased fines could bring in an extra $6.79 to $10.18 million in revenue based on 40 to 60 per cent of fines being collected. The range during the 2025-2026 fiscal year was $4.48 to 7.87 million.
Staff said during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, there were 1,557,243 inspections on board GO Transit and UP Express vehicles.
They said 5.02 per cent of those inspections found people who didn’t produce proof of valid fares. Officials noted that for every one per cent fare evasion goes down, it results in $4,276,598 in recovered revenue.
Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
