PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Did you get charged extra for your SEPTA ride on Monday?
The transit agency said some passengers may have been charged $2.90 instead of $2.50 when tapping Key Cards and other contactless payment devices at bus fare validators. In a statement, SEPTA said any customer charged that increased rate will receive a refund of 40 cents, credited to their Key Card or contactless device as soon as possible.
Systemwide fare increases were scheduled to start on Labor Day. But on Friday, Judge Sierra Thomas Street granted part of a temporary injunction and told SEPTA it must halt a 21.5% fare hike and reductions in Regional Rail service that were set to take effect on Sept. 1 and 2.
SEPTA said it has worked the last few days to update applications that were programmed to charge increased fares starting Monday. So far, the incorrect charges have only been reported on “small number of buses.” SEPTA said that’s likely because fare payment software on those buses did not receive the last minute update to keep prices frozen.
No problems were reported at station fare gate validators and, according to SEPTA, employees have continued to charge $2.50 for cash fares.
SEPTA is monitoring payments to flag overcharges, but urges riders to check their transactions. If you received an overcharge, contact the Key Call Center at 1-855-56-SEPTA.
SEPTA said it will also issue refunds to weekly and monthly passholders who pre-purchased passes at higher rates.