Lack of TransLink fine enforcement means transit is free—for now
When was the last time you paid to get on the 99 B-Line? Oh, you do? Oops.
Well, it turns out riding Metro Vancouver's somewhat-adequate public-transit system has been, at least in practice, free all this time. And not just the 99 Free-Line—SkyTrain, SeaBus, and regular buses too.
While most of us have been coerced into paying for rides on what should be a free, taxpayer-funded service by experiences with TransLink fare checks and the threat of $173 fines, we seemingly needn't have worried.
CBC News and CKNW have confirmed the consequences of not paying said fines, and the answer? There is none.
Apparently, ICBC handles the collection of fines, and the provincial auto insurer doesn't do anything to enforce payment. With a stack of 100 tickets, you can still renew your driver's licence and no sketchy collection agency will be called.
That's right. The next time you're hopping on the Canada Line or a bus crossing zone boundaries, you can pull a Gregor Robertson or an Adrian Dix without fear. If a TransLink police officer writes you a ticket, well, that cop is just wasting paper.
But what if you want to do your part and pay your fare to help support the transit system? Stop right there. CKNW says the cash from fines doesn't even go to TransLink, but rather ends up in the provincial government's general revenue.
Of course, we may not have this lack of fine enforcement for long. No doubt, politicians are already conspiring to mess this one up for the people. Indeed, NDP transportation critic Harry Bains told CKNW he wants Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Blair Lekstrom to make sure TransLink fines are collected.
So enjoy the free ride while you still can.
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Comments
23 Comments
James Inglis
Mar 27, 2012 at 3:03pm
Fines should be enforced and the $ should go to Translink not general revenue.
Christine B.
Mar 27, 2012 at 3:06pm
To pay or not to pay...I will admit to being a fare evader on SkyTrain...not all the time, but most of the time. Public transit should be free, especially since I pay every time I fill my car with gas, pay my car insurance, pay taxes, and list goes on. I pay for transit out of many pockets, so hell yes, I should ride "for free".
Siobhan kelly
Mar 27, 2012 at 3:08pm
I it shouldn't be free and I'm a pass holder as well as a car driver. I'm quite sick of supporting translink via gas tax. Their shoul however be a fare free zone in the downtown core.
Graham Williams
Mar 27, 2012 at 3:26pm
That's bloody heartbreaking. I pay $110/month for a two zone pass not because I need to (or so it seems) but because I want to. Skytrain takes me where I need to go every single day and I can't imagine a world without it. Hopefully fare gates will fix this issue for that service. For busses though... well, what can be done there? I've been told Translink takes a policy of inform, not enforce - and we shouldn't be asking our bus drivers to challenge people directly; it's not their job.
AAA
Mar 27, 2012 at 3:27pm
Come on, stop giving tips on how to avoid paying for transit.
It is expensive compared to the service we receive, but it is not that bad.
randomjames
Mar 27, 2012 at 4:15pm
Most people have no idea how the tax system actually works in this country. The vast majority of taxes go towards paying compound interest debts to private banks.
The whole system is a sham. Do yourself a favour and watch the very well made documentary about Canadian money at http://www.OhCanadaMovie.com/. You'll look at the problem of taxes and revenue in a whole new light afterwards. You'll have a much better idea why the government keeps crying that it's broke and services like transit keep going up in price even though we pay so much in taxes.
It is not free
Mar 27, 2012 at 4:34pm
I am sixty years old, severely disabled and use a mobility device and have a criminal record for not being able to produce my transit ticket. I find it very stressful to take public transport in case it happened again and when I went to court to fight my ticket the room was full of transit police officers and students who had not come up with exact fares. There was not an officer in court room for road offences like running through red light in school zones but more than plenty of transit officers to come up with he was 75 cents short on his fare on his way to school. Are gas taxes paid into transit for the fun of it or is it to encourage motorists to get off the road instead of paying huge dollars on maintaining roads and of course saving the environment is a must?
It would be a safer place if more people where off the road and the costs saving would be tremendous but it will take more people to be on board and that will take more rail and better decision making by BC Transit and the BC Liberals. I can't see that happening.
What do you recommend lock people up for not paying the fine? Isn't that a bit costly and better put towards improving transit while making it accessible to the general public. Especially when your talking people who are short 75 cents and using a police force and the courts to bring them to justice. What do you think your going to get out of people who could not come up with the fares when the majority fined are struggling coming up with the full fare?
Julio Aguilar
Mar 27, 2012 at 4:43pm
Pretty sure this is just to rally up support for (expensive and not needed)faregates!
You
Mar 27, 2012 at 5:57pm
Taxes---income, gas, or otherwise---are not there to pay your fare. They are there to provide the infrastructure, with your fares going into maintaining it. Wouldn't it be nice to have free transit? Yeah, it sure would, but I bet if I told you it would cost you $1 more I'd have to pry that from your cold, dead hands.
KJR
Mar 27, 2012 at 7:42pm
This reporter is a complete loser for writing this. We should all have to pay for services that we want.
I'm totally disgusted, what a slacker you are.