Why this rider wants GRTC to end free fares: 'It's very unnerving'

RICHMOND, Va. -- A longtime rider is asking the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) to consider bringing back paid fares after violence occurred on and near its buses last month.

Caroline Bowers, who has been riding GRTC buses for the past several years, said she is reconsidering how she gets to her job in downtown Richmond.

WTVR

However, she said she may stop taking the bus daily because of crime on and near GRTC buses last month.

“At a bus stop in the middle of the day it’s very unnerving," she said.

In August, Richmond Police responded to three separate crimes connected to GRTC buses.

According to police, two people were stabbed at the West Broad Street Pulse stop, one person was stabbed at the bus stop on Broad Street in the Arts district and a teenager was shot on a GRTC bus near the VCU campus.

WATCH: Riders have 'eyes and ears open' after teen shot on GRTC bus in Richmond: 'I’m always vigilant and alert'

Bowers is calling on GRTC to reinstate fares after she said she has seen a shift in rider behavior since the service became free in 2020 during the pandemic.

“It’s fine to be accessible to everyone, but it shouldn’t just be a ride. It’s like going to an amusement park and never getting off a roller coaster, " Bowers said. "These buses are stopping at the same places. So people who are already at odds with each other, there is pretty good chance they are going to get on the bus at some point with one another. And at some point something is going to transpire."

Riders like John Silver acknowledge that there have been scuffles, but said that he appreciates that rides are free.

"People have attitudes and you don't know what they might come up with. People just need to come together," he said.

WATCH: How GRTC is revamping security measures, including new transit ambassador program

GRTC reported 7 physical assaults and 29 verbal assaults over the past year, according to the company's monthly crime reports that CBS 6 reviewed.

"Safety is our top priority at GRTC, which is why we’ve recently announced our plans to add additional safety employees, partner with VCU safety ambassadors, and investigate private security options," a GRTC spokesperson said. "We are also partnering with the City of Richmond security division to patrol the Downtown Transfer Station."

GRTC officials said fares are indefinitely free and that it is not an annual decision, but a yearly reaffirmation of keeping the policy consistent.

The free fares have been received positively across the region, according to officials with the transit company, as they said the service connects people to healthcare, jobs and families.

Click here to read about the history of GRTC's Zero Fare, including how the initiative is funded.

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