Fare evaders to face tougher penalties in Metro Vancouver starting next week

by Yolande Cole on Aug 31, 2012 at 11:13 am
Comments
TransLink will have the ability to collect fare-evasion fines starting next week.
Stephen Hui

Transit fare evaders in Metro Vancouver will face tougher penalties starting next week as provincial legislative changes come into effect.

As of September 4, a new bylaw will enable TransLink to collect fines from people caught without valid proof of payment in a fair-paid zone. The legislation will also enable transit security to issue fare-infraction tickets.

“The vast majority of our customers pay their fares and will not notice any changes,” TransLink Chief Operating Officer Doug Kelsey said in a news release today (August 31).

“But, they can be assured that we’re taking action on those who choose not to pay their fare. Our goal is to ensure everyone is paying their fair share across the board.”

After Labour Day, fare evaders will face new penalties, including a $173 fine that will increase if unpaid to $213 after 180 days, and $273 after one year. Outstanding fines may also be referred to a collection agency, and drivers with an outstanding transit fine may be refused renewal of their driver’s licence or vehicle insurance.

TransLink will launch a new website on September 4, where those who receive a ticket can pay their fine online, dispute the ticket or appeal a decision.

The new penalties are a result of legislation introduced by the B.C. government in May that amended the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Act.

Comments (31) Add New Comment
PleaseWhatever
Aug 31, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Here come the bicycles.
0
0
Rating: 0
West
Aug 31, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Cause those darn fare-dodgers obviously have the extra money.
0
0
Rating: 0
Bradley
Aug 31, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Wait, I have to PAY to use a publicly-funded service now?? What a bunch of Nazis!
0
1
Rating: -1
Dan Clay
Aug 31, 2012 at 2:49 pm
This is over kill...try the fare evaders in Christy's lobbying office, how about all those tax breaks to the wealthy , the biggest fare evaders going...how about the transit cops enforce the clearly posted" no smoking signs" at Metrotown or Burrard stations..something they have ignored year after year.
0
0
Rating: 0
Ridiculous overreaction
Sep 1, 2012 at 8:33 am
Someone avoiding a $2.50 (or slightly more) charge is fined $173? Ridiculous. The Transit cops have shot and tasered fare evaders, why not bring back olde England where theft of a piece of bread led to hanging. Only in Harper-Canada (or Bush-Obama-US). Miserly authoritarianism is the order of the day. (Unless, of course you're a bankster, pharma-thug, oil baron, weapons producer or agri-industrialist then you can suck freely on the public tit.)
0
0
Rating: 0
Hello K
Sep 1, 2012 at 8:36 am
Giving tickets to teenagers and homeless people sounds like a good solution to the problem!!
Maybe those teenagers and homeless people will learn their lesson not to take advantage of rich peoples tax dollars and go invest in real estate if they want money like the rest of us. Geeez...duh it's not that hard, just ask your dad for an advance on your trust fund.
0
0
Rating: 0
RealityCheck
Sep 1, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Pay your fare, & STFU you bums.
1
1
Rating: 0
BC Drivers the worst
Sep 1, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Why might that be? Do you think it is because translink gets a free ride and a police force whose focus is the down trodden? I do. Instead of focusing on drivers and saving lifes on the road the government priorities have amounted to small change.
There where some 90 deaths last year because of distracted drivers who face a fine of $163.00 and word is out it hasn't stopped drivers from chatting on the phone yet no increase putting everyone's life at risk.
How many died last year because of people who didn't have the correct fare and no ones life is in danger.
And that is why BC has the worst drivers in the country because BC government has its priorities all wrong.
0
0
Rating: 0
a free ride
Sep 1, 2012 at 1:09 pm
Tran slink lobbies government because fare evaders and gets a trans link police force and heavy fines for the needy.
Police complain of rising number of cell phone users who the cause of some 90 deaths on the road last year.
Distracted drivers, who have been a know cause of accidents have had no increase to their $163.00 fine or more police put on the road. If you attend traffic court you will be hard pressed to find an officer attending as drivers take a free ride just like ICBC top fellows who payed themselfs so well they had no money for lowly workers who had to fight to get their overtime.
0
0
Rating: 0
Ray I
Sep 1, 2012 at 2:09 pm
I know people who don't pay and it is not because they can't afford the fare it is simply because they can get away with it. Fine them and ban them from using transit until the fine is paid.
0
0
Rating: 0
Moebius Stripper
Sep 1, 2012 at 2:22 pm
As long as politicians earning six-figure salaries can still talk their way out of getting fined, I'm cool with this.
0
0
Rating: 0
Teedeer
Sep 1, 2012 at 11:30 pm
Does this include Adrian Dix?
0
0
Rating: 0
Save Vancouver
Sep 2, 2012 at 7:53 am
And Gregor Robertson. Why does the Left hate transit?
0
0
Rating: 0
odb
Sep 2, 2012 at 8:38 am
just put in the turnstiles and be done with it
0
0
Rating: 0
teth adam
Sep 2, 2012 at 9:10 am
finally! enough of these deadbeats leeching off my taxes.
0
0
Rating: 0
Evil Eye
Sep 2, 2012 at 9:32 am
The fare evasion issue was/is a non issue as Translink's claims for fare evasion is standard for most transit systems around the world. What the fare evasion issue was all about was to purchase friends of the government dated and near obsolete turnstile system. Most major subway and metro systems are ridding themselves of turnstiles as they are of little use and do not deter fare evasion nor make the transit system safer.

The real problem of course is the over 100,000 $1,00 a day U-Passes that are beggaring the transit system.
0
0
Rating: 0
Donald
Sep 2, 2012 at 12:31 pm
The poorest people should have a right to affordable if not free transportation on this dirty, unreliable transit system. The poor who can't afford to attend university and work for the high rent costs and get the almost free U-Pass. You know, the poor who don't make millions like the Translink executives who drive luxury cars or get decent paying jobs without higher education because of competition with immigrant workers who are very willing to accept low pay. A $173 fine for not paying $2.50 is outrageous, that's more than what cell phone using drivers who kill people are fined
0
0
Rating: 0
Martin Dunphy
Sep 2, 2012 at 12:36 pm
teth:

If you drive a car, I'd like to introduce you to the biggest tax leech.
teth, meet teth.
0
0
Rating: 0
Sheeple
Sep 2, 2012 at 1:32 pm
So let me get this straight Translink pays $170 ++ million for fare gates to stop a few 2 - 3 million a year in fare "evasion" mostly from the poor who can't really afford the $2.

Next Translink will request for a fare increase and tax hike to pay for gross mismanagement of it's budget.

Meanwhile the government gives corporate welfare out in the billions great system.

No wonder the corporations and government treat the people like suckers cause we just keep taking it in the ass.
0
0
Rating: 0
bowser
Sep 2, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Wow, yet another leftist bullsh*t statement from Martin. If it were up to him, everyone would get everything for free. Makes me wonder if he actually pays any taxes himself. Martin, most all the people who don't pay fares can afford it, they are just selfish - a trait I notice quite a lot among your comrades.
0
0
Rating: 0

Pages

Add new comment
To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.