FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2026
Contact: Team Saritha
Email: [email protected]

NEW YORK — Crime-fighting candidate for New York Attorney General Saritha Komatireddy today called out the staggering cost of fare evasion after reports highlighted the story of a 17-year-old Staten Island student whose working-class immigrant family has spent more than $18,000 for her and her brother to take express buses to public school.

“I read Daeun’s story. She’s 17, from Staten Island — and she just asked the mayor a simple question: why is school transit free for every kid in this city except her?

New York students are supposed to be able to get to school on public transit without putting an enormous financial burden on their families. But because Staten Island express buses are excluded from the student program, Daeun’s family has spent more than $18,000 over four years just to send their children to public school.

Her mother, who was a nurse in Korea and now works at a nail salon, works nights and weekends to help pay the bus fare. Daeun says that if this changes, she hopes she can finally see her mother on weekends and have dinner with her on school nights.
It can change, if we just fight crime.

The MTA loses approximately $1 billion each year to fare evasion — a number that has tripled under AG Letitia James. Criminals are getting a free ride while hardworking, law-abiding New Yorkers like Daeun’s family are paying full price. That’s backwards.

If we actually enforce the law — treat everyone the same, stop the billion-dollar giveaway to fare beaters — there’s more than enough to make sure every student, including Daeun, gets to school.”

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