CATS fare ambassadors handle Panthers home game rush for the first time on the job

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The yellow hats and blue jackets of Charlotte Area Transit System fare ambassadors were seen for the first time before, during and after a Carolina Panthers home game on Sunday.

The post-game rush saw trains filled to the brim leaving Uptown Charlotte. At the Carson Boulevard Station in South End, at least half a dozen ambassadors worked on the platforms.

“I’ve never seen them standing out here before and I appreciate that they’re here at the stations,” said Panthers fan Julie Post, who rides the Blue Line for every home game. “I love seeing the people here.”

WBTV crews watched as ambassadors checked tickets and brought riders up to speed with how to use the new CATS-Pass mobile ticketing phone app.

“You just buy them, swipe them, activate them and you’re done. It’s very easy and they asked me to see mine, I pulled it up and there you go,” said Post.

Enforcing fares has become a top priority for CATS after a state audit found the transit system had no procedures in place to enforce fare collection. That left CATS with between a $5 to $6.5 million loss in revenue.

On the Blue Line, the fare evasion rate was 60% in December of 2025 according to the audit.

“I think safety and security is a multifaceted approach. I think as long as I’ve been with CATS, which is, five years now, I think even before then, fares and safety and security were always considered. I think this is just another approach to continue to enhance what’s already being done,” said CATS’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Catherine Kummer.

Some riders, like Antonio Gettis, who travels by light rail to every Panthers home game, says he didn’t know about the new program, but is appreciative of the effort from CATS to collect fares.

“It’s good that they’re out there making sure people pay their fares. I didn’t know that you all were losing millions of dollars,” he said.

This is Phase One of the new fare enforcement program. Phase Two will have the ambassadors on CATS busses before Phase Three will deploy the on the Gold Line.