George Bochetto Slams SEPTA With Class-Action Lawsuit Over Fare Hikes
He's the same lawyer who forced SEPTA to reverse its drastic cuts.
Left: A SEPTA bus in Philadelphia (photo via Wikimedia Commons/CC) | Right: Philadelphia lawyer George Bochetto, who just filed a class-action lawsuit against SEPTA over the agency’s recent fare hikes (Getty Images)
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George Bochetto Slams SEPTA With Class-Action Lawsuit Over Fare Hikes
Remember when SEPTA announced drastic cutbacks to service throughout the region and then implemented some of those cutbacks while preparing to implement more only to be forced by a Philly judge to reverse course, going back to normal SEPTA schedules? You can thank prominent Philadelphia attorney (and former mayoral candidate and former U.S. Senate candidate) George Bochetto for all of that. Bochetto sued SEPTA over the schedule changes, and the judge sided with him.
Now, Bochetto is back with another lawsuit against SEPTA. This time, he is taking aim at the 21.5 percent SEPTA fare hikes that the agency implemented across the board around the same time that it reduced service.
Bochetto filed the class-action lawsuit on Wednesday, naming as specific plaintiff Lance Haver, a frequent rider of the 2, 27, 32, and 45 bus routes as well as the Broad Street Line and Market-Frankford Line, as well as, in class-action lingo, “all others similarly situated.”
In the suit, Bochetto argues that the fare hike amounts to “an arbitrary and capricious action taken without any concern for its riders or mission and because SEPTA failed to conduct statutorily required public hearings in accordance with its enabling legislation.”
“For many — particularly those in the low-income brackets and minorities — imposing daunting fare increases is the functional equivalent of rolling back services: it does no good to have a service one cannot afford to pay for,” Bochetto continues. “These Fare Increases are just as illegal as the service cuts, and this suit seeks justice for SEPTA’s riders in the form of a refund of the increased fares.”
The suit seeks unspecified compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees and costs. SEPTA has yet to comment on this latest lawsuit.
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Nor’easter. It’s such a fun word to say, even if the results can be not so fun, like flooding and downed power lines. In any event, a major nor’easter impacting the East Coast is in the forecast for this weekend. It’s unclear exactly what the track of the storm will be, and different models show different possibilities. But one of those models suggests the storm could hit Philly and the Jersey Shore. So if you’ve got a big fall barbecue planned for this weekend, keep your eyes on the skies.
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By the Numbers
23: Age of Kada Scott, a Philadelphia woman who appears to have disappeared without a trace after walking out of the assisted living facility in Chestnut Hill where she works on Saturday. Her car was left there. Her phone has died. There’s been no hint of activity on her banking or social media accounts. Her family and the authorities are deeply concerned.
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Local Talent
Do you remember boxing? Like, actual boxing? Not that UFC stuff and certainly not those ridiculous “power slap” competitions. Well, real boxing returns to South Philly this weekend when Philadelphia boxer Jaron “Boots” Ennis battles it out with Angolan slugger Uisma Lima. After 35 professional bouts, Ennis is undefeated, and this will be his super-welterweight debut. It all happens at Xfinity Mobile Arena (nee Wells Fargo Center) on Saturday. More info here.
