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Yes, fares should be increased
13%
9 votes
TransLink increasing fares by 10 percent on January 1
Metro Vancouver transit riders will ring in the new year with fare increases.
Stephen Hui
TransLink riders in Metro Vancouver will soon see the price of a one-zone fare rise by 10 percent—from $2.50 to $2.75.
Two-zone fares are set to climb from $3.75 to $4, and three-zone fares from $5 to $5.50.
The regional transportation authority announced today (November 13) that it will increase cash fares, DayPass prices, monthly FareCard prices, HandyDART fares, and West Coast Express fares on January 1, 2013.
Prices for adult FareSaver tickets, which were last hiked along with FareCard prices in 2010, will not change. (The price of a pack of one-zone concession FareSaver tickets, however, will increase from $17 to $17.50.) TransLink last hiked cash fares in 2008.
The cost of a FareCard will be going up by about 12.5 percent. A one-zone pass will rise from $81 to $91, a two-zone pass from $110 to $124, and a three-zone pass from $151 to $170.
For HandyDART users, one- and two-zone fares will increase from $2.50 to $2.75, three-zone fares from $3.75 to $4, and four-zone fares from $5 to $5.50.
TransLink says fares make up 33 percent of its revenue. Under the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Act, TransLink may increase fares by an annual rate of two percent to keep up with inflation.
The authority had actually sought a 12.5-percent supplementary fare increase for 2013, but that proposal was rejected by TransLink commissioner Martin Crilly in April. FareCard prices are not regulated by the TransLink commission.
TransLink is currently installing fare gates in SkyTrain stations, in preparation for the introduction of the Compass electronic fare card in 2013.
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Why not see how much money is made come Fall of 2013 when all of the fare-evaders are forced to pay instead of gouging those of us who transit honestly?
Since no one pays Zone 3 fares anyways, time to squeeze a bigger profit out of the Zone 1 routes literally overflowing with demand.
It is cheaper to park downtown now monthly then to take transit.
I would expect a hike in fares if we had seen some new developments in Vancouver, but the last major development was the Canada line. They haven't extended hours on the Skytrain, they haven't added more buses to the most popular routes downtown, the trains and buses are fuller and smellier than ever (never cleaned, even after Fri-Sat nights) the list could go on for a while.
Congratulations on your legacy. The wrong side of history is beckoning you into its bosom. It's sad to see people in executive positions who are uninspired and afraid to challenge themselves. How unfortunate that everyone in metro Vancouver must suffer for your reactionary financial mismanagement. Sigh. Plus ca change...
That's messed up.
Damn.
A ten percent increase in 2013 and another ten percent in 2014. Suck it up and thank the BC Liberals. They are behind the Translink cesspool of incompetence and corruption.
so many cars drive through downtown, georgia street and then bridge to north shore. very good money making opportunity. also have builders of more ugly high rises in downtown pay for transit.
News flash, Translink dinkheads: you know who even rides your damn shitty buses? Poor people. You are just making it harder for the poorest segment of society to access transportation. And frankly, that borders on evil.
Here's a list of the current board members: http://www.translink.ca/en/About-Us/Governance-and-Board/Board-of-Direct...
Let's start holding them accountable.
And hey, who wants to start a bus riders' strike? Who wants to carpool?
Sorry Sarah. But you are a fare evader even if you pay it. Your fare EVEN AT THE NEW RATE is subsidized by drivers to the tune of 17 cents a litre.
I am only too happy to see you and the other fare evaders paying more of the cost of your transit habit.
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