The TTC should let Torontonians ride for free and halt patrols of fare enforcement officers while the city grapples with the COVID-19 crisis, transit advocates say.

With residents’ normal life suspended and much of the city’s economic activity grinding to a halt, Shelagh Pizey-Allen, director of transit advocacy group TTCriders, said the TTC needs to step up. “No one should be denied the right to mobility in this moment of crisis, and have to think twice about accessing food and medical supplies,” she said in a written statement Tuesday.

Pizey-Allen also argued that having TTC employees approach riders to validate their fares undermines public health officials’ social-distancing recommendations. People who can’t pay should be able to ride for free and enforcement should be suspended, at least while those recommendations remain in place, she said.

Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency Tuesday to fight the spread of the virus, ordering the shutdown of bars and restaurants as well as places of worship, theatres, private schools and daycares. As of Tuesday morning, there were 189 confirmed cases of the disease in Ontario, more than 100 of them in Toronto.

TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said that during the emergency riders will still need to pay fares.

“We continue to offer regular service and the expectation is that customers pay for that service,” he said.

Despite a dramatic drop in ridership over the past week, the TTC has maintained normal service levels as transit users heed public health advice to limit outings and many residents have begun working from home.

Green said the agency is operating 100 per cent of scheduled streetcar and subway service, and about 98 to 99 per cent of bus service.

Pictures circulating on social media this week showed near-empty subways at rush hour, when trains are normally packed with riders.

The TTC’s decision to maintain normal operations is in sharp contrast to the approach taken by GO Transit, which starting Wednesday will temporarily reduce the frequency of train and bus service to reflect plummeting demand.

“The TTC is a vital service for a great many Torontonians and some need us now more than ever. It is their way to and from work, and to shop for essential goods and services,” Green said.

He confirmed the TTC’s fare inspectors are still patrolling the transit system, but said that during these “extraordinary times” officers “will focus on education and customer service while respecting the importance of social distancing.”

Starting Wednesday, inspectors won’t perform hand-held taps of riders’ presto cards, and will instead stand near card readers to “educate” passengers. If more than 50 people board a vehicle, inspectors will get off and board a less busy vehicle, reflecting public health recommendations against large gatherings in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Green wouldn’t guarantee the change in fare inspectors’ duties will mean they won’t issue any fines to riders who don’t pay.

While Torontonians are still being asked to pay for transit, other Canadian cities are limiting fare collection or forgoing it altogether.

On Tuesday, Halifax announced its transit agency would stop collecting fares on buses and ferries starting Wednesday “as a result of the municipality’s commitment to safe social distancing.”

In Ottawa, OC Transpo is advising bus riders to enter and exit through vehicles’ rear doors, and said its drivers won’t be accepting cash or paper transfers. The agency says the measures are intended to protect the health and safety of its employees.

At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor John Tory said Toronto officials haven’t had a specific discussion about suspending TTC fare collection. But he said that as with all government responses to the outbreak, there’s a need to balance the economic costs of such a decision with the benefit it would provide the public.

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“We have to look at saying, all right, if we are going to invest public money in giving free transit, for example, is that the best way in which we can spend the funds, that are not unlimited, from all the governments? Is that the best way we can do it?” Tory said.

The mayor noted the TTC is “already suffering significant revenue losses because of the lack of passengers” and eliminating fares would only exacerbate the situation.

The TTC relies on fare revenue to make up about two-thirds of its $2-billion budget.

Green said the agency is monitoring the recent ridership drop but it doesn’t yet have hard numbers.

Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr

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