CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Riders on the Blue Line in Charlotte, N.C., are now more likely to be asked for a ticket. The Charlotte Area Transit System has started sending 60 fare ambassadors onto light rail trains and station platforms.
The new staff check that passengers have paid, and they also help people buy tickets and find their way around the system. They are easy to spot in blue shirts and yellow hats marked with their title, and they work aboard trains while they are moving.
Money is a big reason for the push. CATS estimates riders who skip paying cost the system about $6.5 million a year. Part of the money for the program comes from the PAVE Act.
Transit officials say the goal is better fare compliance paired with customer service, so the checks feel like help rather than only enforcement.
City Council member Dante Anderson, who represents District One and leads the council’s Public Safety Committee, said the added staff should give riders more peace of mind and shows tax dollars at work.
The ambassadors are the latest step in a wider effort to tighten security on the light rail. Before this launch, CATS added private security on trains and buses, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers began working extra patrols on their off-duty hours.
The stepped-up checks on trains and platforms took effect Friday, Oct. 30. CATS has also pitched the program as a way to make trips run more smoothly for paying riders. Riders who need a ticket can buy one before boarding. The ambassadors can walk passengers through the options if they are unsure what fare to pay.
Section: More Charlotte NC crime news
Filed under: Charlotte NC Traffic News
