METRO VANCOUVER — As of Monday, any SkyTrain riders evading fares will no longer be able to sneak through the open gate without a Compass Card.
TransLink shut the fare gates three months ago, but left a policy in place that one gate remain open if no SkyTrain attendant was present. However, on Monday that policy will change and all accessible gates will be closed.
West Coast Express has no fare gates. TransLink spokeswoman Cheryl Ziola says those stations are open concept and do not safely lend themselves to gates.
Instead, they have rail station validators for tapping.
“Currently open (SkyTrain) gates rotate depending on whether an attendant is on duty or not. But we continue to leave an accessible gate open when an attendant is not available, until all gates close Monday, and new accessibility measures will be available.” said Ziola, in an email.
The transit authority says one million Compass Cards are now in active use on the transit system, and with that many users it is time to complete the transition to a closed fare gate system.
TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond says as a result of the Compass Card there has been a notable increase in revenue.
Fare revenue for April, May and June of 2016 is up eight per cent over the same months in 2015, he says, driving an overall five per cent growth in fare revenue over the first half of 2016, compared with the same period last year. TransLink is also reporting an estimated two per cent growth in ridership during the first half of 2016.
TransLink says proximity-sensor entrances will be in place by the end of next year for customers with disabilities who are unable to tap a Compass Card, and a number of options exist for these customers to access SkyTrain and SeaBus stations. These options include the Station Assistance Service, Assistive Devices Program and the HandyCard Program.
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.
With a file from Kelly Sinoski
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