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While transit officials say fare evasion on Calgary’s LRT system hit an all-time low last year of just 1.7 per cent, the number of tickets issued by enforcement officers jumped 28 per cent to 17,000.

Last fall’s two-week study saw peace officers check 45,248 passengers for proof of payment, with 768 unable to produce a validated ticket or pass — a compliance rate of 98.3 per cent.

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“That is good news in so far as that is our highest level of fare compliance on the system since we opened the CTrain system (in 1981),” said Brian Whitelaw, Calgary Transit’s longtime safety and enforcement co-ordinator.

“What that means, certainly from a transit perspective, is that we’re able to hold our fares in line because the integrity of the fare collection system is protected to that level,” he said.

Photo by Ted Rhodes / Calgary Herald

The department employs 97 officers and has a $12-million budget. Fare-checking is part of transit’s overall crime and disorder prevention strategy, said Whitelaw.