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Person arrested on first day of fare evasion enforcement, WMATA says

One person was arrested and four citations were issued on the first day of fare evasion enforcement.

VIRGINIA, USA — Editor's Note: The video above was published on Oct. 5, 2022.

A campaign to push back against fare evasion on the Metro has already led to one arrest in Virginia. 

Metro Transit Police (MTPD) began issuing fare evasion citations starting Tuesday. Metro spent the last month raising awareness and hosting a warning campaign for passengers regarding fare enforcement.

Citations will be handed out to anyone jumping fare gates, improperly using emergency gates or not tapping fare boxes on Metrobuses.

MTPD reported that on the first day of fare evasion enforcement, four citations were issued and one person was arrested as of 1 p.m. Officers also reportedly saw a number of people walk into the station, only to turn around after seeing officers making sure people paid fare before entering the metro. 

RELATED: Citations to be handed out to fare evaders starting Nov. 1

Fare evasion causes significant revenue loss for WMATA. The agency claims in 2022 it lost $40 million or 22% of the total upcoming budget gap. 

"Using data from Metrobus and pre-pandemic industry averages for Metrorail, Metro estimates revenue losses due to fare evasion totaling tens of millions of dollars in fiscal year 2022," said WMATA in a release.  

WMATA claims that people who neglect to pay fares may receive fines for fare evasion in each jurisdiction. According to the WMATA website, possible fines include $50 in D.C. and up to $100 in Virginia and Maryland.

RELATED: Legal, civil rights advocates keeping a close eye on how Metro's fare evasion campaign is enforced

WATCH NEXT: Metro launches campaign against fare evasion

WMATA says that people who neglect to pay fares may receive fines for fare evasion in each jurisdiction.

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