Fare evasion on transit buses led to estimated loss of $400,000 for Saskatoon in 2025

The number of people riding Saskatoon Transit without paying their fares is steadily increasing, and the problem is costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

According to a report presented on to the city’s transportation committee on Tuesday, between 2021 and Dec. 25, 2025, bus drivers reported that fare evasion rates rose from 0.2 per cent of riders to 1.8 per cent.

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That amounts to about $394,596 in lost revenue for 2025 alone. In 2024, the lost revenue added up to $281,532.

Those estimates are on “the low end,” according to Terry Schmidt, Saskatoon’s general manager of transportation and construction, because drivers have to actually press a button on a mobile data terminal to record infractions.

“We anticipate that number is higher because that is being reported by the operators through their mobile data terminal,” Schmidt said.

“We know, when talking with operators, they always don’t have the opportunity to push the button because they’re dealing with other things.”

Saskatoon’s bus drivers aren’t allowed to enforce the payment of fares, “due to safety concerns for operators and riders with the increased risk of escalation and negative incidents, such as aggressive behaviour and assaults,” the report noted.

The report also pointed out that “larger Canadian transit agencies estimate 3% to 15% of fare revenue lost annually, compared to Saskatoon’s estimated recorded 2% in 2025.”

A proposed transit bylaw was passed unanimously by the transportation committee on Tuesday. The new rules would allow bylaw officers and transit police to fine those who don’t pay their fares, behave inappropriately or present a safety issue on Saskatoon buses.

That bylaw is expected to be presented to city council in July. If passed, it would go into effect on September 1.

Where is fare evasion occurring?

According to the report, fare evasions between 2023 and 2025 happened most frequently at the downtown bus terminal, with more 11,193 instances recorded. In second place was the Confederation terminal, with 8,663 instances of fare evasion, followed by the Confederaton Superstore’s bus stop, where 5,013 fare evasions were recorded.

A table showing the most affected fare evasion locations, according to a report to the city’s transportation committee. (City of Saskatoon)

The route most affected during that time period – by far – was the #2 City Centre/Meadowgreen route, with 27,048 instances of fare evasion. That route begins at the downtown terminal, then travels along 20th Street through Riversdale, Pleasant Hill and Meadowgreen, and ends at the Confederation terminal.

That was followed by the #65 Kensington bus route, with 14,394 fare evasions recorded, and the #8 Centre Mall bus route, with 10,094 evasions.

A table showing the route numbers most affected by fare evasion in Saskatoon. The #2 Meadowgreen route exceeds all others by far. (City of Saskatoon)

The report noted that there was also an increase in fare evasion at locations where larger groups of people frequently board the bus, including high schools and post-secondary campuses.

To address that trend, uniformed supervisors are meeting students at bus stops after school hours to encourage riders to have their tickets or fares ready.

Robert Clipperton, with the advocacy group Bus Riders of Saskatoon, pointed out in a presentation that other cities have areas where people don’t have to pay fares at all.

“The city of Calgary, for example, has had a fare-free zone, including nine of their C-Train stations through downtown since 1981. The estimate… is that only about 25 per cent of those riders would still be boarding the train if full fare was demanded,” he said.

He also noted that some cities in the U.S. have spent more money on enforcing fare payment than they lost on unpaid fares.

“That’s another trap we want to avoid,” he said.

Ward 8 Councillor Scott Ford mentioned that the City of Edmonton has designated public warming buses, which act as both transportation and warming centres for the homeless.

“Has administration ever considered having one or two buses that are strictly assigned to transporting the routes where the homeless people are, and they’re allowed to take those buses to move them from point A to point B?” Ford asked.

Schmidt suggested that Saskatoon’s emergency management organization would likely have more information on warming buses, but he said the city is finding that working with certain support agencies on issues around homelessness is often the best option, because their employees are better trained and their facilities are better equipped.