Compass card rollout underway

By Diane Duflot
December 21, 2015

The Compass card system began to rollout gradually across Metro Vancouver’s SkyTrain and Canada Line stations on Oct. 5, 2015. Increasing numbers of fare gates will become operation as riders adapt to using the Compass card and as the gates are tested.

It’s still uncertain when all the Compass card fare gates will be operational, but it will likely be in early 2016. When that time comes, TransLink will stop using all forms of paper tickets.

So far, 250,000 passengers have Compass cards. TransLink expects that eventually 800,000 people will have Compass cards. Riders will be able to load monthly passes, single fares or a prepaid balance onto the new cards, and the cards will be updated as they pass through fare gates installed across the SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express system.

Originally ordered by the Liberal government as a means of reducing rampant fare evasion on the SkyTrain, the Compass card system is two years behind schedule. TransLink viewed the new system, designed by Cubic Transportation Systems as a way of obtaining data on transit ridership, so that both transit service and long-term transit planning could be improved.

Critics, however, have balked at the $194.7-million cost of the fare gate and electronic smart card system, others condemned the system for its repeated problems on buses (the cards weren’t accurate or took too long to use).

Another issue was that if passengers failed to tap out properly, they could be charged for three zones, even if they had only travelled one, or if they tapped out early, while remaining on the bus, passengers might not pay for the entirety of their trip. In order to make this process more user friendly, TransLink is implementing a one-zone fare for buses so that riders will not have to tap our when leaving a bus, but only have to tap in when boarding.

Nonetheless, on the rest of the transit system passengers will have to tap out. Otherwise, those taking the SkyTrain or SeaBus will be charged a three-zone fare automatically.

About Diane Duflot

Diane Duflot is a freelance writer and editor.

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