Metro Vancouver — TransLink says revenue has jumped by about seven per cent since fare gates went fully into operation.
CEO Kevin Desmond said that suggests people who once evaded paying fares are now paying.
The analysis compares numbers just before all gates were closed on April 4 and then on the days following. If the trend continues, Desmond said, TransLink should receive another $6 million to $7 million a year — the amount TransLink had estimated it was losing on SkyTrain as a result of fare evaders on the old system.
“The Compass Card is much maligned,” Desmond told Vancouver Board of Trade members Friday. But “94 per cent of transit passengers are already using Compass. It works.”
The Compass Card and fare gate system were ordered by the Liberal government to reduce fare evasion on SkyTrain lines, but has been touted by TransLink as a way to get near real-time data on where people are boarding and leaving SkyTrain, information that can be used to improve service delivery and long-term transit planning.
Those caught riding without paying the fare can face a $173 fine. TransLink can enforce collection of that, at least for vehicle drivers, by blocking drivers with unpaid tickets from renewing their driver’s licences or vehicle registration with government-owned ICBC.
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