Passenger advocates were quick to criticize some fare payment scenarios proposed by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in bid documents prepared for its anticipated smart card system. The option under fire calls for commuter rail passengers to ride fare-free inbound and pay twice outbound — once when entering the downtown station and once when leaving the train. “It’s an open invitation to legal fare evasion,” said Matthew Mitchell of the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers. Mitchell argued that passengers would ride the train downtown and then return home on a cheaper service to avoid the double fare. He continued: “The planners of this have had tunnel vision — in their effort to solve one problem, which is that not all tickets are getting punched on the trains now, they have introduced a raft of new problems.” SEPTA says that comments are “premature” and that public hearings will be held before awarding a contract. Link to full story in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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