TransLink fare change means big savings for some, anger for others
Some bus riders could save nearly a thousand dollars over a year on the cost of their annual commute
TransLink's announcement of a one-zone fare across the entire bus system October 5th means a windfall — nearly $1,000 over a year — for some commuters.
Bus riders who regularly travel across three zones (for instance on the 160 Port Coquitlam Stn/Vancouver, or the 190 Coquitlam Stn/Vancouver) will soon be able to travel on a one-zone monthly pass ($91) instead of a three-zone monthly pass ($170). That's a savings of $79 per month.
Commuters who can use the change to scale down from a three-zone pass to a two-zone pass for their daily commute will realize a savings of $46 per month.
Those able to downsize from a two-zone pass to a one-zone pass will save a commuter $33 a month.
The one-zone bus fare may have some considering how much their time is worth because starting October 5th, taking a bus across a zone boundary will be cheaper than taking the SeaBus and SkyTrain.
Time versus money
Consider the North Shore where the SeaBus remains a two zone ride. When bus prices drop, commuters facing a daily downtown commute stand to save $33 a month switching to the bus although travel time will likely be much longer.
Whether the changes will provoke a mass rush to the buses, not only on the North Shore but in other cross-zone areas, won't be known until the fare change comes into effect this fall
Many commuters have expressed anger that TransLink didn't introduce the single zone fare across the entire system including the SeaBus and SkyTrain.
Said one commuter, "I think it's pretty brutal. It should just all be one zone, one fee for everthing."
TransLink announced the the one-zone bus fare as a result of its on-going struggle with the beleaguered Compass Card system.
It requires riders to tap on at the start of a trip, and tap off at the end.
Testing revealed that tapping off on buses would cause long delays. And there is no way to stop cheaters who tap off early and then continue to ride the bus.
There's no telling how long the one-zone bus fare will remain in effect. TransLink will only say the change is temporary.
The Compass electronic fare system is already over budget and two years behind schedule.