‘Secret shoppers’ are coming to the T
The MBTA wants its money.
The T is readying a new program to deploy ‘mystery shoppers’ on the commuter rail beginning this fall, according to MassLive.
These secret riders will be tasked with reporting to the MBTA whether riders are paying fares and whether conductors are collecting them, MassLive reports.
“The goal is to maximize critical fare revenue by collecting fares from everyone who uses commuter rail, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo told Boston.com.
The transportation agency is currently mired in roughly $9 billion of debt. But the MBTA sees fare collection as not only a way to make money, but also a matter of fairness.
“We owe it to our customers to make sure every commuter rail rider is paying [their] fair share,’’ said Pesaturo. “Justifiably, fare-paying customers feel cheated if they see conductors not collecting fares from everyone on the train.’’
According to MassLive, the secret shoppers will watch conductors to ensure they’re taking appropriate measures to collect fares. As to what these measures are, Keolis Commuter Services spokesman Mac Daniel said, “there is a state law against fare evasion on the MBTA, and we follow this law when necessary.’’ Keolis is the company that operates the commuter rail for the MBTA. The law involves a fine, which increases for repeat offenders.
The plan is scheduled to begin in September, so the crackdown is coming.
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