SAN FRANCISCO—The BART transportation system provides transportation to thousands of riders every day throughout the San Francisco region, but new technology advancements are set to be unveiled to improve efficiency. The San Francisco Police Department patrols transit entrances, to prevent scams that have cost BART over $15 million a year. A new net expansion will introduce a new high-tech card reader that will allow administrators of the system to catch fare cheaters who utilize the BART system.
With one swipe, a patrolling officer can determine if a Bart ticket was scanned and if the ticket is valid. According to reports, BART Deputy Police Chief Lance Haight indicated that the new technology will allow officials to check the status of tickets anywhere along the BART’s progress, where officials will be able to catch individuals who have not made payment while boarding.
Along with the new technology, a newly-minted strike team of fare inspectors were on hand at the Powell Street station with two separate readers that were used on all passengers that were exiting escalators. One of the readers allows officers to scan normal tickets, while using the other for Clipper cards.
Deputy Chief Haight stated that the SFPD is hoping that beyond the physical parameters of the new system that the risk of getting caught will stop travelers who might seek to evade payment with the transportation system.
