A group of subway riders alleging they were hit with OMNY overcharges and so-called phantom fines is calling on New York’s attorney general to scrutinize the MTA’s tap-and-go fare system, The Post has learned.
Passenger advocacy group Passengers United told The Post it is planning demonstrations outside Attorney General Letitia James’ office in an effort to press for an investigation into the payment system, which members say has wrongly charged or penalized hundreds of New Yorkers.
“We want them to investigate [system developer] Cubic for defects with OMNY, including overcharges, [and that] it doesn’t show payments leading to erroneous fines from fare inspectors,” group president Charlton D’Souza told The Post.
The organization has also sent letters to James, as well as city and state lawmakers, detailing riders’ complaints. In addition, it has circulated a petition urging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to repair OMNY’s alleged problems and bring back unlimited passes.
“New Yorkers are fed up. We’re at our breaking point,” D’Souza said.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber faced questions about the claims during the agency’s July 29 board meeting, where he said the authority would address legitimate problems while also suggesting that some complaints spreading on social media may be overstated.
“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 said.
The MTA and the attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
