Calgary city council has unanimously approved changes to a transit bylaw that aims to improve safety on city transit for riders and operators.
The bylaw amendments give transit peace officers more power to enforce rules around loitering, or people riding the train with no destination in sight. Another change involves requiring identification for younger riders.
“The recommendations to amend the bylaw are very specific to the issues and the concerns we are seeing on the transit system,” says Marcia Gonder, acting chief of public vehicle standards with Calgary Transit. “We are confident that the amendments within the transit bylaw will address those behaviours and concerns.”
Officers will now be able to take action when a person is staying on transit for a long period of time, without the end goal of reaching a destination, regardless of if they have paid a fare. The city hopes this change will give peace officers greater ability to manage behaviour and lay charges when appropriate.
Another change gives officers the authority to ask for proof of age to defer claims of someone being 12 and younger to get a free pass.
“We’ve been encountering individuals saying they are under 12-years-old, and we’ve had no mechanism to determine whether they were 12 and under,” says Gonder. “This gives our officers the opportunity to ask for that identification.”
Calgary Transit says officers will use discretion when dealing with minors.
The changes also introduce a charge for altering or re-creating a valid pass for the purpose of forging. The aim of this amendment is to reinforce fare compliance and reduce fare evasion.
Fines have also been added for possessing a weapon on transit and for verbal harassment, threats and intimidation of transit operators, riders and staff.
Gonder says the changes will take effect immediately, but officers will begin with an education component before handing out fines.
Transit peace officers will be tasked with enforcing the new rules with the help of Calgary Police officers, when necessary.