I've lived in a place with a system like this. The people who jump off were mostly students and people for whom tickets represented a significant expense.
The lax rules and clearly uniformed agents were seen partly as progressive price discrimination, giving free access to public transport to those who really need it.
That sounds like the worst possible outcome - you're literally teaching that poor people either don't have to be honest or are expected to be dishonest.
I would hate to live in a society formed by that ethos...
The lax rules and clearly uniformed agents were seen partly as progressive price discrimination, giving free access to public transport to those who really need it.