Metrolinx Fare Evasion Penalties Might Soon Go Up
June 23, 2026 Team Contributor
Metrolinx is planning to impose deterrents on errant commuters, and the fines could be the steepest ever. Based on the latest reports. Metrolinx is proposing high penalties primarily to boost compliance and deter repeat offenders. And this time it’s as high as 6-fold in some cases.
According to reports from June 2026, Metrolinx estimates that approximately 5% of riders across its network did not pay their fares last year.
This is no small number, considering that if the Metrolinx Fare Evasion Penalties proposal is accepted at the soon-to-happen meeting, staff estimate it could generate between $6.79 million and $10.18 million in additional revenue per year, even if collection is kept at a modest 40-60%.
The new penalty structure may kick in from September 8, 2026, pending board approval.
For commuters who found the first-offence fines kept as low as $35 to be less of a deterrent and more of an invitation to travel stealthily, it’s time to brace up for hefty fines.
Is it a significant shift? Surely it is when the first fines go up to $200 from $35, even when the late payment fee of $25 remains the same. The government identified that fare evasion was costing Metrolinx approximately $21 million annually.
Why are the Metrolinx fare evasion penalties being revised?
In March 2026, the Ontario provincial government initiated legislative changes to Bill 98, the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, 2026. The bill paved the way for a rethink on Metrolinx fare evasion penalties on GO Transit and UP Express in a manner they deem fit .
The intention has been to stop viewing the matter as merely an administrative annoyance and to start treating it as a significant revenue and policy issue.
The Metrolinx fare-evasion penalty revision aims to curb the “testing” behaviour, as the report identifies an attitude among non-compliant riders to test the infrastructure by checking whether they can get away without paying.
The reports state- “Graduated penalties communicate proportionate consequences, signaling that repeated non-compliance will be met with escalating sanctions (administrative fees to PONs to summons). This clarity reduces ‘testing’ behaviour and encourages early compliance,”
Here are the details.
Time for course-correction
The four-year-old graduated penalty structure for fare evasion, seen as too lenient, might soon be replaced by a stricter version. Habitual offenders may soon find themselves settling the issue in court under the new provision.
A line is the report stands out- Research consistently finds that the certainty of being caught is a more powerful deterrent than the severity of punishment.
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