A group of New York City subway riders is calling on Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) OMNY fare system, citing claims of overcharges and phantom fines. Passengers United, an advocacy group, has organized rallies outside the Attorney General's office to demand a probe into the tap-and-go payment system, which they allege has impacted hundreds of New Yorkers.
Charlton D'Souza, president of Passengers United, stated that the group wants Cubic, the system developer, investigated for alleged defects. These include reports of customers being overcharged and of payments not being properly registered, leading to erroneous fines from fare inspectors. The group has also sent letters detailing their complaints and a petition to city and state lawmakers, urging the MTA to fix OMNY and reinstate unlimited fare passes.
"New Yorkers are fed up. We're at our breaking point," D'Souza said.
MTA head Janno Lieber addressed the allegations during the agency's July 29 board meeting. While downplaying social media complaints, he pledged to address any issues. "If anybody has an issue where they feel like they’ve been unfairly charged at the turnstile or, God forbid, handed a ticket unfairly, we want to know about it, and we will fix it," Lieber stated.
Representatives for the MTA and the Attorney General's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.