Metro to Offer Free Rides to Make Up for Bus Fare Glitch
posted 3:42 pm Tue January 08, 2008 - WASHINGTON
Metro says a farebox programming error caused bus riders to be overcharged when its new fares went into effect this week. To make it up to riders, the transit agency will offer free rides on Sunday and until noon Monday to passengers with SmarTrip cards.
Riders are supposed to be able to transfer from one bus to another for free, and people who transfer from rail to bus pay only 35 cents. But on Sunday and Monday, about 23,000 riders who made transfers using their SmarTrip cards were docked the full fare for each trip.
Metro has reprogrammed the fareboxes and is apologizing to riders. The agency estimates that the free rides will cost it about $30,000.
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