ManitobaWinnipeg Transit’s crackdown on fare evasion has denied nearly 5,000 rides in just over two months, according to new figures released Wednesday that the city says shows progress on curbing revenue loss and safety concerns.Nearly 5,000 denied rides since September program launchCameron MacLean · CBC News · Posted: Nov 12, 2025 6:43 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Winnipeg Transit is planning a public education campaign to inform riders about its fare enforcement program. (Ron Dhaliwal/CBC)Winnipeg Transit’s crackdown on fare evasion has denied nearly 5,000 rides in just over two months, according to new figures released Wednesday that the city says shows progress on curbing revenue loss and safety concerns.Since expanded enforcement began in September, transit inspectors have completed more than 6,800 fare checks while community safety officers have logged more than 1,400 hours on buses and at transit stops. The city says those efforts have resulted in 4,944 denied rides, another 2,670 people walking away before being prompted to pay, 931 warnings and 359 riders paying after being asked. Transit estimates it loses between $7 million and $10 million annually due to fare evasion, though officials note that number is a rough approximation because operators cannot always track non-paying riders during busy service.Coun. Janice Lukes, chair of council’s public works and transit committee, says the new data reflects a long-standing issue the city is now confronting more directly.“Transit isn’t a service that pays for itself. So the City of Winnipeg – taxpayers – subsidize it, and it’s been going up 84 per cent since 2020. So that’s concerning and we’re just having to crack down on people that don’t want to pay for riding the bus,” she said. She says the goal of enforcement is not only to recover lost revenue but to shift expectations among riders. “I think it’s creating an awareness … to pay for the bus … or you can’t get on the bus.” Lukes said she also hopes the city will eventually recover a significant portion of its estimated losses. “I’d like to see us recover at least three-quarters of the estimated fare evasion losses.”Lukes says there is a clear link between fare evasion and safety on the system.Operators have called for stricter fare enforcement for years, says ATU Local 1505 executive vice-president Derek Hanley.“We knew that as soon as they started this endeavour that it would provide tangible results. We’ve been saying it for years — that fare enforcement has been a problem,” he said. Hanley says having inspectors, community safety officers and police onboard has had an immediate impact on how safe buses feel. “For the 45 minutes to the hour that the safety officers or the WPS officers are riding on the bus, the people there know that they’re going to have a safe, comfortable ride,” he said. He also says the vast majority of assaults occurring on buses involve someone who has not paid. Now, with officers present, people are often turning around before boarding. “The public knows the free ride is over,” he said urging the city to keep the program going.“You have to not take your foot off the gas now,” he said.Lukes says the early results are promising, though it’s too soon to know their full impact. “I think it’s a little bit too early to say, because we’re just starting … the word is just getting out for fare enforcement for riders.”The city’s community safety team has expanded since its launch, growing to 27 full-time positions in 2024 from 20 in 2023, with plans to reach 39 by 2027.ABOUT THE AUTHORCameron MacLean is a journalist for CBC Manitoba living in Winnipeg, where he was born and raised. He has more than a decade of experience reporting in the city and across Manitoba, covering a wide range of topics, including courts, politics, housing, arts, health and breaking news. Email story tips to cameron.maclean@cbc.ca.
Winnipeg Transit cites thousands of denied rides as early result of fare-enforcement push
