NYC subway riders demand Attorney General probe of OMNY overcharges and phantom fines

A coalition of commuters calling themselves Passengers United is organizing rallies and petitions to urge Attorney General Letitia James to investigate alleged overcharges and bogus fines linked to the MTA’s OMNY system.

Passengers United, a rider advocacy group, alleges that the OMNY fare-payment system has produced numerous overcharges and phantom fines for New York subway users. Group president Charlton D’Souza says the problem affects hundreds of commuters and blames the system’s developer, Cubic, for technical flaws that hide transactions and generate erroneous tickets. The organization has filed letters with the Attorney General’s office, as well as city and state legislators, and is organizing public rallies outside Letitia James’ office to demand a formal investigation.

It also launched an online petition urging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to repair OMNY and reinstate unlimited passes. At the MTA’s July 29 board meeting, chief executive Janno Lieber pledged to address any unfair charges or tickets, though he downplayed the volume of complaints on social media. Neither the MTA nor the Attorney General’s office has provided comment as the story develops.