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Three Richmond city councillors are calling for a crackdown on transit fare cheats.

Couns. Derek Dang, Bill McNulty and Ken Johnston said Tuesday that a TransLink proposal to increase fares by 10 per cent in the coming year and 40 per cent by 2019 should be scrapped unless turnstiles are installed on mass-transit lines — such as the Canada Line — and fare evaders are taken to task.

“Those that pay their fair share shouldn’t have to pay more until fare cheats are forced to pay themselves,” said Dang.

Translink is currently applying to the B.C. Regional Transportation Commission to increase monthly transit passes and faresaver coupons by 10 per cent on April 1, with further plans to raise fares 40 per cent over the next 10 years.

Last April, TransLink said research indicated the greatest percentage of fare evasion occurs on SkyTrain. Total fares evaded annually across the transit system ranged from $5.3 million to $9.5 million.

"It’s hard to believe that Translink is letting up to $10 million in revenues just pass them by,” said McNulty. “With TransLink in a cash crunch and not ruling out any new sources of revenue, it’s shocking they haven’t more seriously gone after those evading transit fares before hitting those that do pay.”

According to a Province story from Sunday, through the end of June, 9,909 tickets were handed out and 1,423 paid. There were 142 tickets partially paid and 6,829 unpaid — leaving $1.181-million in outstanding fines.

In 2008, 14,400 tickets were handed out and 11,300 went unpaid, for an unpaid-fine total of $1.95 million.

The scofflaws were even worse in 2007, when 24,200 tickets were issued and just 2,400 offenders paid up.

An April 9 news release from the Government of Canada, B.C. government and Translink said construction of a faregate project would begin in spring 2010, but no further information has been released.

“It’s clear that Translink is toothless to enforce their own rules and is unable to enforce their own fines,” said Johnston. “Today we’re asking the public to tell the B.C. Regional Transportation Commission that Translink must commit to install fare gates as promised starting in spring 2010 and stop cheaters before they get a free ride.”

The B.C. Regional Transportation Commission is receiving public feedback on the proposed fare hikes until Nov. 30. Members of the public can e-mail comments@translinkcommission.org or mail their opinion to TransLink Commission, Box 1497, Comox, V9M 8A2.

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Richmond+councillors+want+TransLink+come+down+fare+evaders/2260901/story.html

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Interesting bus ride today. Boarded the 430 today at Bridgeport. Driver looked half drunk or stoned or something. Pretty sure he was speeding too, in the middle of traffic. At one stop, he closes the back doors even when someone was still getting out. Not sure if the back doors are automated or not, but that was pretty reckless if they aren't. Then, he completely drives past me and this woman's stop, and we both had to yell for him to stop so we could get off.

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Interesting bus ride today. Boarded the 430 today at Bridgeport. Driver looked half drunk or stoned or something. Pretty sure he was speeding too, in the middle of traffic. At one stop, he closes the back doors even when someone was still getting out. Not sure if the back doors are automated or not, but that was pretty reckless if they aren't. Then, he completely drives past me and this woman's stop, and we both had to yell for him to stop so we could get off.

The doors on the single buses are automated. All the driver controls is if you can press the bar to open the door or not.

The double buses can be controlled by the driver though.

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I highly doubt installing turnstiles will do much good for the CL, as there's always a green-shirt standing at the fare-zone asking to see people's transit stubs.

once again, Derek Dang and Bill McNulty keep talking out of their asses and provide no true solution to the problem.

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The green shirts have no way of enforcing the fares, they are not really in a position of power.

They sorta annoy me. I have a U-Pass, so I just walk in, but they gotta go "FARE CHECK!" and I have to fidget to get my U-Pass.angry.gif

Sometimes I just want to ignore them, but don't want them to call the Transit Police and get tackled.laugh.gif

Edited by 【Opmac】
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^ the green shirts checked tickets when the Canada Line first opened, but they haven't been nearly as diligent lately. Fare gates are definitely needed.

yah! I have said it many times!

We need fare gates, smart cards and distance based fares as soon as possible!!!!

I can't wait until 2012!

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yah! I have said it many times!

We need fare gates, smart cards and distance based fares as soon as possible!!!!

I can't wait until 2012!

There is something I don't get about the smart card. Why would we need it?mellow.gif

Or are they only going to replace the monthly cards that don't have the stripe?

Because all Faresavers, Transfers, and U-Passes have the stripe and couldn't you just have those same boxes on the bus as turnstiles for SkyTrain stations?

Then again, those boxes on the bus takes forever to spit the card back out. Maybe that's why.

Then what happens to people with transfer from the bus?mellow.gif

Are they going to replace all the boxes on the bus now too?blink.gif

Edited by 【Opmac】
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^ the green shirts checked tickets when the Canada Line first opened, but they haven't been nearly as diligent lately. Fare gates are definitely needed.

I still see them as often as I did at the opening. It's not every day, and it seems to be more of a morning thing.

I wonder what the costs of putting green shirts at every station are vs. turnstiles...

I guess it's what, 4 people per station per day (2 people in an 8 hour shift)

So 14 stations * 4 people * 8 hours * 7 days * 52 weeks * $25/hr = $4 million /yr

I may have gotten the number of stations wrong. I just guessed.

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There is something I don't get about the smart card. Why would we need it?mellow.gif

Or are they only going to replace the monthly cards that don't have the stripe?

Because all Faresavers, Transfers, and U-Passes have the stripe and couldn't you just have those same boxes on the bus as turnstiles for SkyTrain stations?

Then again, those boxes on the bus takes forever to spit the card back out. Maybe that's why.

Then what happens to people with transfer from the bus?mellow.gif

Are they going to replace all the boxes on the bus now too?blink.gif

Looks like you don't travel much...smart cards are becoming the norm around the world.

Smart cards are much more efficient than the fare tickets we have today. It's a thick card that you simply wave over a sensor, the process is completed in 2 secs.

SkyTrain ticket machines and bus ticket machines are all outfitted for smart cards in mind. With the bus ticket machines, they have to add on a sensor device.

Single fare tickets will still exist...drop the money in the machines (skytrain or bus) and you get a single trip ticket.

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yah! I have said it many times!

We need fare gates, smart cards and distance based fares as soon as possible!!!!

I can't wait until 2012!

Right, a huge capital program that does nothing to increase service, compounded with a significant increase in the complexity of fare collection, will be a great way to save translink money and boost ridership! :rolleyes::lol:

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How is a gate any better at enforcing a fare than a person?

It also acts as a psychological barrier, creating a perception of safety in the system.

Staff won't be able to check everyone's tickets, especially for things like paying one less zone.

Countless cities with world-class metro systems use fare gates...surely, they can't be in the wrong.

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Looks like you don't travel much...smart cards are becoming the norm around the world.

Smart cards are much more efficient than the fare tickets we have today. It's a thick card that you simply wave over a sensor, the process is completed in 2 secs.

SkyTrain ticket machines and bus ticket machines are all outfitted for smart cards in mind. With the bus ticket machines, they have to add on a sensor device.

Single fare tickets will still exist...drop the money in the machines (skytrain or bus) and you get a single trip ticket.

X$/device x Y buses = How much money? Sensing equipment rugged enough to withstand being on and retrofited into an existng bus doesn't strike me as something with a cheap unit price. Not to mention the need to carry around yet another THICK (your kidding right?) card?

What's the benefit of this?

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Looks like you don't travel much...smart cards are becoming the norm around the world.

Smart cards are much more efficient than the fare tickets we have today. It's a thick card that you simply wave over a sensor, the process is completed in 2 secs.

SkyTrain ticket machines and bus ticket machines are all outfitted for smart cards in mind. With the bus ticket machines, they have to add on a sensor device.

Single fare tickets will still exist...drop the money in the machines (skytrain or bus) and you get a single trip ticket.

I see.

Will bus ticket machines start spitting out smart cards instead of transfers? Since I get to the SkyTrain station, I would need a smart card to get on. Will the U-Pass become a smart card then?

I think when I went to Canton, you used these plastic coins to get on the subway and the turnstiles would take the coin back once you have used it up or something.

I am really confused how this thing will actually work.laugh.gif

Edited by 【Opmac】
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