Joe slams Cy over fare beating

MTA Chairman Joe Lhota sent a letter Monday to Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. to “strenuously protest” his office’s “unilateral decision” to stop prosecuting turnstile jumpers, The Post has learned.

Vance announced last week that he will no longer prosecute fare evaders in Manhattan, and some cops say they now won’t bother to stop the lawbreakers at all.

The move will take money from the MTA, penalize paying riders and put passengers and subway workers in danger, Lhota (right) said in his letter.

“Fare beating places a burden on lawabiding transit customers who do pay the fare, including low-income citizens who despite financial challenges, still respect the rule of law and their obligation to pay their way,” Lhota wrote.

“And fare beating deprives the transit system of revenue that has never been as critically needed as it is today. Further, it seems reasonable to expect your policy will increase fare beating . . . emboldening fare beaters in subways and buses across the city.

“And it seems clear that you failed to consider the impact t that unenforced fare beating can an have on the safety of the MTA’s A’s transit workers,” he added.

Lhota said the dangers were made clear last week when cops chasedased a fare beater and found that he was wanted for attempted murder in Virginia.

Officials in Vance’s office confirmed onfirmed that they received the letter and said they are working on a responsese to the MTA head.