The TTC's decision to put counterfeiting fears ahead of customer concerns has created yet another battlefront between its employees and riders.
Our Tuesday column detailed a screaming match we witnessed at Islington station between a fare collector and a customer who blew her stack after she tried to use a temporary ticket, issued by the TTC in December to deal with a token shortage after a fare hike was announced.
Riders began hoarding tokens after the TTC decided to raise their fare by 25 cents to $3 on Jan. 3. As a solution, it issued temporary tickets and allowed riders to deposit the ticket plus 25 cents in the fare box between Jan. 3 and Jan. 31.
TTC spokesman Danny Nicholson said an expiry date was imposed to deter counterfeiting of tickets, the reason it stopped selling adult tickets in 2008. It still sells tickets for student, senior and children's fares.
"We encouraged people at the time to not buy more than they needed," Nicholson said.
Nearly 150 readers had posted comments under our column by 5 p.m. Tuesday, including many who questioned why the TTC won't accept them on an open-ended basis, since they amount to fares paid in advance.
Riders can redeem tickets for cash or exchange them until March 31, but they must go to TTC headquarters at Yonge St. and Davisville Ave. on a weekday, or mail them in.
One reader commented he's been able to use them on some TTC buses since Jan. 31, but not on others, while an Etobicoke reader said she's a working mom with no time to exchange tickets.
By issuing tickets with an expiry date to solve one problem, the TTC created another. It has managed to anger everyone who paid cash for the tickets but can no longer use them, and set the stage for dust-ups between transit riders and staff.
TTC management is pointing fingers at employees for its ongoing customer service nightmares, but can blame themselves for this one.
read full article
- 11/02/2010 05:52 - Giambrone should step down as chair of TTC
- 10/02/2010 12:24 - Ashley Madison may take another go at TTC
- 09/02/2010 09:23 - Fixer: We catch TTC rider, fare taker in screaming match
- 09/02/2010 01:21 - TTC Union Strikes Back
- 08/02/2010 09:14 - TTC Workers Start Work-To-Rule Campaign: Report
- 08/02/2010 04:20 - Defensive TTC workers want to push back
- 08/02/2010 04:20 - TTC workers' Facebook site swamped with complaints
