TTC Launches New Ad Campaign Targeting Fare Evaders And Torontonians Hate It

Since the TTC announced this past February that they have lost $61 million worth of fares in 2018 due to fare evasion, they have been coming up with new methods to limit the number of people who sneak onto public transit for free. In their most recent attempts, TTC has released an ad campaign that targets fare evasion and reminds riders that they can get fined up to $425 if they skip out on paying their fare. 

This ad comes after Metrolinx's announcement on fare evasion last week. Narcity reported that Metrolinx was changing their policies in an attempts to crack down on fare evasion. Among these new changes, they stated that they will now be implementing a 'zero-tolerance' strategy and first-time offenders could get a $100 fine without a warning. 

They also announced that twelve new full-time Revenue Protection Officers will start conducting fare evasion checks throughout the Metrolinx lines starting on June 1 in attempts to catch fare evaders. 

TTC posted this new ad on their Twitter account earlier this morning. It showcases a TTC user hoping over the gate at one of the Toronto subway stations before the ad states, "Smile! You're on fare evader camera".

The end of the advertisement showcases a black screen informing the audience that if they don't pay their fare they can be charged up to $425. 

Since this advertisement has been released, a lot of Torontonians don't seem to be too pleased with it and many have actually taken to Twitter to state their opinions on the new ad.

A lot of users are criticizing the way that the camera is located on the security footage that is shown in the ad, while others state there are better things the TTC can work towards instead of an advertisement. 

While many Torontonians may hate the ad, the TTC announced it is running the campaign in attempts to limit the number of fare evaders that get a free ride on the TTC every year.

TTC stated that this new advertisement will appear in TTC vehicles and stations. The video will also be on rotation on video screens on the subway platforms.

Since the TTC has started to crack down on fare evasion, they have issued 4,549 tickets in the past two months to TTC transit riders who did not pay their fare.