A group of protestors put themselves in a mock jail and then found themselves in the real thing after a demonstration decrying increased RIDE fares.
Members of Massachusetts Senior Action Council staged the demonstration in front of the State Transportation Building Wednesday.
Five protestors, including four elderly women, were arrested for disturbing the peace, according to the State House News Service. They had blocked traffic near Charles and Stuart streets as part of their protest and were taken away after police warned them to move.
The protest was similar to one that the group organized in April when disabled demonstrators blocked Beacon Street in front of the State House.
Massachusetts Senior Action Council erected a mock jail during Wednesday’s protest to show how they were feeling like prisoners in their own homes.The fare for the RIDE, which offers door-to-door service for the elderly and disabled, increased last year to $4 for a one-way trip to many locations.
The MBTA has said the cost of operating The Ride is an extreme drain on funds and resources, especially as the population ages. The service costs the T about $122 million annually and is increasing at about 16 percent each year, T officials have said.
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