With $140 million lost every year, TTC fare inspectors are cracking down — is skipping your fare worth it in the long run?

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) fare for a single ride is $3.30, but this still seems to be too much for some as fare evasion is on the rise.

According to the TTC’s 2023 audit, more than $140 million is lost to fare evasion every year. Because of this, the TTC’s fare inspectors have undergone a rebrand. They will now be known as Provincial Offences Officers — or POO, an acronym that has received much ridicule online from Torontonians — and are cracking down on their efforts to limit fare evasion.

What these changes look like on the TTC

It’s not just their name that’s changing. The POO now dons a new uniform —a grey shirt and vest with their title on them.

The POO will continue to be responsible for providing customer service and fare compliance, but at an increased rate. Along with having more uniformed officers on board transit and at stations, they have introduced plain clothes inspectors, will be hiring more officers in general and are planning to implement body cameras and mobile ticketing to increase compliance.

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How much does fare evasion cost riders in the long run?

With more inspectors monitoring rider’s payments, it’s worth considering how much skipping out on paying your fare really costs riders.

Tickets for fare evasion range from $235 to $425. Let’s say you get fined $300 when a POO discovers you didn’t tap your card on the streetcar, that amounts to approximately 90 paid rides on the TTC, or even 3 months of commuting to your job.

Why do people not pay for their TTC rides?

The TTC has approximately 1.7 million customers on a typical weekday, this is one of the highest per-capita ridership rates in North America.

It’s worth asking, why are so many riders not paying their fare?

While there’s no conclusive answer, it could be chalked up to individual’s beliefs that public transportation should be free or even due to the high poverty rates in the city.

According to Toronto's Child and Family Poverty Report Card , released by national anti-poverty group Campaign 2000 and Social Planning Toronto, at 25.3%, Toronto had the highest child and family poverty rate among cities and regional municipalities with populations over 500,00 in 2024. For some, even that $3.30 can make a significant dent in their wallet.

Sources

1. Toronto Transit Commission: Fares & passes

2. Toronto Transit Commission: TTC Fare Inspectors to be known as Provincial Offences Officers (July 18, 2025)

3. Toronto Transit Commission: Key Facts

4. Social Planning Toronto: Child and Family Poverty Report Card, Toronto 2024