Transit Police to issue fines to SkyTrain passengers who force open car doors

Warnings aren't working, so transit officers are turning to fines.

Transit Police are now enforcing rules prohibiting SkyTrain riders from prying open doors of stalled or moving trains, and will start issuing $115 fines to the rule-breakers.

Anne Drennan, spokesperson for the Metro Vancouver Transit Police Service, says five incidents have been reported since the two SkyTrain meltdowns last month.

• Read more about the first SkyTrain shutdown
• Read more about the second SkyTrain shutdown
• SkyTrain shutdowns to get external review

During the shutdowns, a number of passengers on stuck trains pried the doors opened and walked along the guideway into the nearest station.

"Since the system-wide shutdowns, because of the public attention this kind of behaviour received, we have had a number of incidents where passengers have pried open the doors and entered  the guideway after a delay of only a few seconds on isolated trains," Drennan said in a written statement.

Drennan said such behaviour puts lives at risk, as portions of the track are charged with 600 volts of power. And, not only is such behaviour unsafe, it can lead to additional, lengthy delays, she said.

"Every time someone pries the door open and goes onto the guideway, that person has to be successfully removed from the guideway before a problem train can be moved onto another track," she said.

Proven repeat offenders and riders who damage doors and other equipment could be charged with mischief on top of the fine.