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A status report was presented to the RTA Board today on an audit the Senior Ride Free (SRF) cards. The audit revealed more than five percent of the Senior Ride Free (SRF) cards sampled were being used fraudulently following the death of a SRF cardholder. The study was conducted by the RTA’s Department of Research, Analysis and Policy Development.
The audit disclosed that of the 3,142 Seniors Ride Free cardholders sampled and who were deceased, more than 150 of those cards were still being used on the CTA’s system. The number of rides used on these cards ranged from one ride to more than 1,400 rides per card.
All Senior Ride Free cards were not included in this audit, and the RTA believes that further sampling of more cards will lead to similar fraudulent claims. Additionally, the RTA plans to establish an automated review to be done on a periodic basis, partnerships with Social Security Administration or other public entity that retains death records and match Seniors Ride Free database against official death records.
“We took proactive steps to deactivate cards where fraud was discovered,” said Grace Gallucci, Deputy Executive Director, Research Analysis and Policy Development. “A broader audit regarding fraud with active card holders is underway of the seniors ride free program that was included in the RTA’s 2010 audit plan, and recommendations and fraud deterrent procedures are still being considered,” she added.
The Seniors Ride Free and People with Disabilities Ride Free programs provide approximately 77.6 million rides on the RTA system making up 6.9 percent of CTA’s, 3.8 percent of Metra’s, and 8.2 percent of Pace’s total ridership.
The RTA acknowledges the fraudulent card use further contributes to the financial strain on the region’s transit system. The Senior Ride Free Program costs between $26 and $78 million annually for the approximately 400,000 seniors that are registered in the program. The RTA has advocated for means testing that would allow low income seniors to continue riding for free while all other seniors would ride for a reduced fare. The Seniors Ride Free Program went into effect in March, 2008.
To learn more about the RTA Seniors Ride Free and Reduced Fare Programs, visit our website at www.RTAchicago.com.
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