An MTS bus goes down the street in San Diego in this undated image.
Beginning Saturday, riders on Metropolitan Transit System transit caught without a valid fare will be issued a citation then and there, part of an effort to crack down on fare evasion.
This differs from the previous system, in which MTS Security officers could offer someone caught without a valid fare the chance to buy a fare or validate one. The change -- which is system-wide but will nearly entirely impact trolley riders -- will go into effect Feb. 1, 2025.
Between May 2022 and July 2024, an analysis of MTS' fare collection estimated the agency lost between $17 million and $23 million in fare revenue due to evasion. This total comes from an estimated 57,000 monthly riders not paying fares unless expressly checked by MTS officers -- a loss estimated to be between $17 million and $23 million for the agency.
According to MTS, riders in violation will be issued a fine as low as $25 if cleared through the transit agency's diversion program -- or up to $192 fine or more in traffic court if not cleared within 120 days.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
"Riders with no previous citations will have the opportunity to have their first citation dismissed when they appeal through the Diversion Program," a statement from MTS read. "Riders also have the ability to appeal the citation directly to MTS in other select cases."
Additionally, MTS is modernizing the payment process to allow for online and phone payments, supplementing by-mail checks or paying in person at the MTS Transit Store.
