TransLink inks deal on new fare card system
TransLink has reached a final project agreement with a two-company consortium to create and operate an electronic fare-card system in Metro Vancouver.
Cubic Transportation Systems and IBM Canada put forward the successful bid for the project, which has a $171-million budget and is expected to be in place in 2013.
The new fare-payment system will cover bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, rail, and HandyDart services.
TransLink says the aim is to improve efficiency and security on the transit network while deterring fare evasion.
“Cubic’s contract, which is included in the budget, includes capital costs of approximately $84 million for the supply of the operating system and the supply and installation of the gates, smart card vending machines, readers and related equipment,” TransLink says today (January 14) in a news release.
“The contract also includes a 10-year operations and maintenance budget with an option to renew for an additional five years,” the release says.
The provincial and federal governments are to provide up to $70 million toward the project.
Construction is slated to start system-wide in Spring.
Comments
8 Comments
UWSofty
Jan 14, 2011 at 4:07pm
Smart cards = awesome
Fare gates = waste of money
HnD
Jan 14, 2011 at 5:08pm
what happens to our current 90min transfer? It's a question that translink continues to evade
@stephen
Jan 14, 2011 at 7:51pm
I find the notion of TransLink spending $170 million on fare cards plus the $15 million annual management fee, scandalous, when we have diesel buses running rampant on trolley bus routes, don't you? Trust me, the NDP and Greens are going to skewer the Liberals and TransLink over this.
For TransLink to misappropriate tax dollars to reward friends of the Liberals and TransLink with contracts to waste our money on something as frivolous as fare cards is going to bring down the Liberals and the sycophants at TransLink. The Liberals and the puppets at TransLink are finished; get ready for the end.
gudrun
Jan 15, 2011 at 3:11pm
So now we're all chasing around trying to find "the name" for the card and look no further. But the company smiles all the way to the bank - with our money.
Well folks, you may feel consulted - I feel insulted
disgruntled
Jan 15, 2011 at 4:38pm
perhaps translink can start enforcing fares...
@disgruntled
Jan 15, 2011 at 8:14pm
We have too many unemployed and a fare attendant going around to check on fares like on the tram in Adelaide, Australia might reduce the unemployed and give a starving student a job in the summer to pay for tuition. Fare cards, @#$% you TransLink.
Evil Eye
Jan 16, 2011 at 8:08am
In the real world, the electronic fare cards are only used in cities with a large number of private transit operating companies, where the apportioning of fares is much simpler and faster with electronic smart cards. In London (UK) there are over 20 private transportation companies operating the Tube, Underground (both are separate now), tram, Docklands light metro, railways, buses, rive taxis, etc., and with the "Oyster Card", travel (with zonal tickets) using the various modes becomes much easier to apportion out the exact fare owed to each company.
Transit is one operating entity and the need for a smart card is just not there.
Turnstiles are a dated relic and many transportation authorities are ridding themselves of the expensive and cumbersome beasts, especially with Smart Cards which have made turnstiles redundant!
If a transit authority wants to enforce fare payment, just introduce conductors and check tickets on every train and by doing so, get rid of SkyTrain attendants and the SkyTrain/transit police.
Simple enforcement of fares by conductors is the proven way to ensure proper fares are paid!
As usual Translink has got it ass backwards and squanders vast sums of money on a transit system that is regarded internationally as somewhat of a joke.
MD6369
Jan 17, 2011 at 3:26pm
1) will this new system be obsolete "out of the box" like the last one was? (read: we saved a small amount of money to get an "older model" of fare card scanners last time.
2) will the amount spent equal the amount lost on fare evasion currently? Lets see those numbers again AND account for those that will just walk if forced to pay for the bus.