Regional Transit System fare-free program to require ID cards as of March 1

Press release from City of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Beginning March 1, riders eligible for the Regional Transit System (RTS) Fare-Free Transit Program must present an RTS identification card to ride at no cost. The transit program offers free bus fares for RTS passengers 65 and older and those 18 and younger.
RTS ID cards are available at no charge. Individuals can apply on-line for a digital ID card at www.go-rts.com. Physical ID cards can be obtained by visiting RTS administrative headquarters at 34 SE 13th Road in Gainesville.
The City of Gainesville Transportation Department announced the requirement last October to help reduce fraud and to address budget constraints due to reductions in federal, state, and local funding.
Signage posted on buses is part of an educational grace period, through February, to help familiarize riders with the new requirement.
The City launched the Fare-Free Transit Program in 2021 after entering into an agreement with Alachua County to evenly split the program’s $230,000 annual cost. The agreement has been renewed each year since.
During the three fiscal years since the launch, RTS recorded more than 1.6 million trips by eligible riders of the program.
STOP THE PRESSES! They want an ID to ride a bus but not to vote?!?
I’m hiring an attorney.
Oh bless your heart. I’ve been voting for over 40 years and never once have I not had to show my ID. Just stop with that BS.
You must have fallen off the bus.
Never said you didn’t have to show an ID; stated, because it’s true, that there are many people who object to having verifiable identification to vote.
Most people don’t understand what “voter id ” is
Winning 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
What a crock Big Brother RTS. To sign up online first you have to sign up for a data mining anti privacy Google account. No thanks. Not going to give all everything to Google or Mark Suckerberg or Elon Musk even if he is the President.
How funny. According to RTS only 1% of passengers pay to ride. That’s right. 1%. RTS gets half its funding from UF. UF pays 14 million a year. UF could probably run a cheaper service for its students. But would rather help the City.