For the first time in what feels like an eternity, instead of complaining about public transit, residents of Ontario are actually largely happy about a new policy coming to their regional network.

Metrolinx has quietly started giving its staff gradually increasing quotas for fare evasion tickets, asking as of October that inspectors collectively deal out a total of 6,000 fines to those riders unable to provide proof of payment on a GO Transit route.

The agency is also trying to ramp up inspections, asking that employees complete a total of 120,000 last month.

And, based on the numbers sourced by the CBC in an article published on Monday, the new targets are going over well: staff issued 6,187 tickets and completed a close 117,373 inspections in October, and surpassed their goals of 5,000 tickets (issuing 5,121) and 100,000 inspections (completing a whopping 150,885) in September.

I've seen maybe 2 inspectors in countless years of taking the GO lakeshore line. Fare evasion is probably rampant. Contrast that with Europe where inspectors abound!

— PJ of York (@pjofyork) November 13, 2023

While transit advocates have expressed concerns about potential profiling, Metrolinx employees must undergo anti-racism and anti-bias training, and checks are to be applied uniformly to everyone on a given vehicle.

And, it seems that most online are pretty okay with the change, though there will always be some calls for transit to be free.

In various Reddit threads, many note that a zero-tolerance policy across the board seems fair, and agree that they don't feel fares are checked enough based on what they see when they personally ride.

"There's no profiling, they simply go up and down the entire train. They just need to do it more often," one person said.

"It would be weirder if enforcement teams didn’t have targets to hit. This is a non-story," another added.

I don't feel that expecting riders to pay their fares is too much to ask for, taxes are already high enough as it is.

— Greg Behrens (@gregbehrensvfx) November 13, 2023

Still another called the move "a necessary evil to properly fund the system in our current model. And I say this despite believing that in my utopian world, transit would be free."

Some also pointed out that with the recently added option to tap your debit or credit card to pay your fare, the process is as simple as possible, and there is really no excuse not to — and knowing so many aren't doing so can be frustrating for those who pay their way.

"I pay every time. And every time they go down the train checking, they catch someone," one person said.

Others even argued that the fines should be higher to ensure it isn't preferable to simply never pay and risk the occasional ticket — after a warning, first-time offenders face a penalty of $35, while a second offence will run perpetrators $50, and a third, $100.

Anyone caught evading for a fourth time or more will be served a Provincial Offence Notice and associated $200 ticket.

A friend is a fare inspector and she said there’s alot each shift who don’t pay.

— Lindy Lou (@LindyLo51870667) November 13, 2023

One suggestion transitgoers do have for Metrolinx in regards to this topic, though, is that they add more Presto machines on platforms, as a few people said they have almost missed a train trying to find somewhere to tap their card.