By Lydia Randall and Sara Shouhayib
Fraudulent use of subsidized Chicago Transit Authority cards in the last six months has cost CTA more than six million dollars, but such cases of fraud are on the decline.
CTA began the effort to curtail fraudulent card use last November, when it was revealed that cases of card misuse were frequent at some of the city’s busiest stations.
The CTA reported today a decline in the excessive use of these cards, and a decline in the number of cards confiscated since November. But despite the drop, the authority has confiscated more than 5000 cards from unauthorized users since the crack down.
Free-ride and reduced-fare cards are issued for senior citizens, people with disabilities and students. The largest number of violations occurred at the CTA’s busiest stations, including Clark/Lake, Belmont and the 95th Street station.
