ATLANTA — Metro Atlanta transit agency MARTA is sharing more information with its staff about how to handle when bus riders don’t pay their fares.
Back in March, a MARTA spokeswoman said bus drivers received what they’re calling fare evasion buttons.
On Wednesday, MARTA sent a memo on how to use the fare evasion button to their operators and staff.
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A MARTA spokeswoman told Channel 2 Action News that the memo sent to bus drivers had instructions for how, and when, to press the button to report a fare evasion.
According to the agency, “this fare evasion reporting system helps operators remain informers, not enforcers, when it comes to collecting fare.”
"Once the button is pushed, the report goes immediately to MPD, officers can pinpoint the bus and route, watch the video from the bus, and handle the incident," MARTA said.
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Officials said that if someone boards a bus but doesn’t pay the fare, either by walking past the farebox or only paying part of the fee, drivers should not call them back to the box or tell them the fare policy.
Instead, drivers are told to now press the fare evasion button, then proceed along their route without delaying the drive.
Here’s how the system works, according to the memo given to MARTA staff and shared with Channel 2 Action News:
The fare evasion button has a screen where drivers can select “Dispatch” and “Send Messages” to alert MARTA police about a fare evasion.
The device lets drivers choose the category they need, whether it’s a fare box mobile ticket, bus shelter or bus stop, or how to report a fare evasion, when contacting the agency’s police division.
From there, drivers can choose “Patron Did Not Pay Fare” when a passenger skips the ticket fee. The message will turn green when it is sent to MARTA police.
If an unhoused person “takes over” a bus shelter or bus stop, MARTA bus drivers will have an option to inform police of that situation.
Like the fare evasion, the message will turn green when sent to MARTA officers for a response.
Drivers will also receive a confirmation message to show when the report is received by MARTA dispatchers.
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