Revenue rises in first full year of TransLink’s fare gates
It has been just over a year since fare gates began fully operating at SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express stations across the TransLink network. According to data provided by TransLink, during that year there was an increase in fare revenue and a decrease in the number of fare-evasion tickets issued by Transit Police.
10.5 PER CENT
During the year after the fare gates went into operation, TransLink saw a $40.8-million (10.5-per-cent) increase in fare revenue. From April 2015 until March 2016, total fare revenue was $387.7 million. Between April 2016 and March 2017, fare revenue rose to $428.5 million. These figures are for all modes of transit: SkyTrain, buses, SeaBus and West Coast Express. Before the fare gates went into service at the beginning of April 2016, it was estimated that TransLink was losing $6 million to $7 million each year because of fare evasion. According to TransLink, other factors such as a strong economy or the opening of the Evergreen Line likely helped contribute to the increase in fare revenue.
29 PER CENT
There has been a 29-per-cent decrease in the number of fare evasion tickets issued during the year since the fare gates began fully operating. From April 2015 to March 2016 there were 33,141 fare-evasion tickets issued by Transit Police, compared to 23,444 between April 2016 and March 2017. Anyone who doesn’t pay a fare or is caught in a fare-paid zone without proof of payment can be issued a $173 ticket, and those who don’t pay their ticket may not be able to renew their driver’s licence or vehicle insurance.
95 PER CENT
The Compass card, which was introduced in conjunction with the fare gate installation, has been described by TransLink staff as “incredibly successful” despite the service issues and delays that arose during rollout. More than 95 per cent of transactions use Compass cards or tickets, and there are more than 1.5 million cards in use.