No free rides in Cleveland: Transit drivers ordered to collect fares

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland’s transit agency is telling its drivers to stop giving people a free ride.

The Regional Transit Authority says it has learned that some passengers taking the system’s Red Line trains haven’t paid after recent Indians games and other downtown events because drivers didn’t collect the fares.

At night, drivers often are required to take the $2 fares from people getting on at a key downtown station where the ticket booths aren’t always manned after events due to agency staffing issues. The Tower City station is getting machines to take care of the ticketing, but they’re not ready yet.

The transit authority, which is facing a $9 million budget shortfall, issued an order Tuesday to all employees that fares must be collected.