TransLink considering one zone fare system for Compass Card

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) It might soon cost the same amount to take a bus in Metro Vancouver, no matter how far you ride. TransLink says it is considering bringing in a one zone fare system for buses when the Compass Card comes in.

TransLink is having a hard time getting this tap on tap off feature to work for buses. It takes too long to tap off and anyone who just forgets to will be charged for three zones. This means line ups getting off of buses. It could also lead to a great deal of backlash from customers who forget to tap off or are unable to for another reason.

VP of Communications for TransLink Colleen Brennan said last week only that they’re getting somewhere with fixing the bugs. “We’ve made some really good progress with that. We need to continue to do that.”

Transit users have been waiting a long time to see the Compass Card be fully launched and getting rid of zones for buses could speed things up. But that means, for example, people who take a bus from Delta to Vancouver would pay the same as someone who takes a bus a few blocks.

Gord Price with the SFU City Program says it’s impossible to make the system into something that’s 100 per cent fair all the time. “There’s always going to be these inequities. Same with a zone system for instance. Someone coming from Lonsdale to downtown. They’re only taking one trip and they’re going a short distance and yet they cross that zone boundary. Always the problem of where you draw the line.”

He thinks going with a one-zone system might be the only way for now. “Its way more complicated than rocket science. It involves people and all of the different things that we do. And to have one system that tries to accommodate it all and do it fairly, well, no one’s actually figured that out. But eventually, at least using the technology of Compass or some system like it, we can get closer.”

TransLink announced last week West Coast Express riders would be next to get Compass Cards starting June 8th.

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