by The Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Transit agencies across Pennsylvania are being scrutinized by the state over the subsidies they claim for transporting riders 65 and older, with at least four agencies being docked millions for inflating senior ridership numbers.
Criminal charges are pending against two high-ranking employees of the transit agency in Wilkes-Barre, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has demanded it pay a $3.1 million refund after three-quarters of the senior riders it reported over a four-year span were deemed bogus. PennDOT is also getting back $5.7 million from the Scranton system, $264,000 from Mount Carmel and about $1 million from New Castle.
