MARTA adds new fare evasion reporting button to buses

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MARTA is hoping a new reporting system will reduce confrontations over bus fare evasion. (FOX 5)

ATLANTA - MARTA is hoping a new reporting system will allow its drivers to be informers, not enforcers, when it comes to bus fares.

The transit agency says the new "Fare Evasion" button installed on its buses will help resolve issues involving non-payment quickly and safely.

What we know:

MARTA officials sent a letter to bus drivers to explain the new tool on Wednesday.

In the letter, officials say drivers can now use the button to let MARTA police know when someone doesn't pay a fare.

"When a fare evader boards a bus - either by walking past the firebox without attempting to pay or by depositing only a partial fare - you should not call the passenger back to the firebox or verbally state the fare policy," the letter reads. "Instead, you should press the Fare Evasion (FE) button and continue operating the route without delay."

Officers can then identify the bus and route in order to respond to the incident.

Dig deeper:

The new policy comes months after a MARTA bus driver was shot and killed during a dispute police say started over bus fare.

According to investigators, 47-year-old Leroy Ramos was involved in a dispute with three juveniles — two 16-year-olds and a 14-year-old — that began on a bus and escalated into a physical fight after they exited the vehicle in January. One of the teens allegedly pulled a gun and opened fire, killing Ramos.

The unnamed 16-year-old faces a murder charge and will be prosecuted in DeKalb County Juvenile Court.

Britt Dunams, a former driver and current president of the local Amalgamated Transit Union, told FOX 5 after the shooting that the tragic incident has renewed concerns about safety among drivers.

"Each and every day, I’ve been getting phone calls and messages stating that they feel unsafe," he said.