After 11 years of bringing you local reporting, the team behind the Vancouver Observer has moved on to Canada's National Observer. You can follow Vancouver culture reporting over there from now on. Thank you for all your support over the years!
Over 5,000 call on TransLink to stop double transit fee
Aug 22nd, 2013
Over 5,000 Metro Vancouver transit users have sent TransLink CEO Ian Jarvis a message calling on Translink to "Stop the Double Transit Fee".
Under the new Compass system, TransLink will soon force thousands of daily transit riders to pay twice for every trip when transferring from bus to SkyTrain if they happen to use cash.
"This Double Transit Fee will impact low-income earners, irregular riders, and visitors hardest. It is estimated transit riders paying double will give Translink an extra $4.5 million in revenue per year. That's a ton of money for folks living in one of the most expensive cities in North America," said Tara Mahoney, a co-organizer of the petition.
For days the Executives at Translink told the public that the solution to was to outfit all buses with a Compass producing machine. Translink told us this fix would cost $25 million. They repeated this $25 million price tag again and again. Some believed Translink when they said the solution was too expensive and not worth it.
CTV News uncovered late last week that TransLink actually had considered a much cheaper option: to place "paper transfer trade-in" machines at all SkyTrain stations. The fix would cost a fraction of what Translink was previously stating: $9 million. It appears TransLink was not as forthcoming about the cheaper solution.
Transit users will continue to organize and voice opposition to this cash-grab that will be on the backs of those who rely on transit most.
Read More:
More in City
Speak up about this article on Facebook or Twitter. Do this by liking Vancouver Observer on Facebook or following us @Vanobserver on Twitter. We'd love to hear from you.