The Boxing Of Translink's 200 Million Dollar Compass

AllTheMillionsThatFit

AnywhereButInBussesVille

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Update, Monday Aug 19th....This was originally posted last Thursday...I've moved it to the top for those folks flocking over from Laila Yuile's most excellent piece in 24 Hrs...

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So.

We now know the Compass thingy will cost, when all is said and done, around $200 million.

Which is $200 million that will never be recouped by the nailing of those awful evil ne'r do wells known as fare evaders (and/or poor people).

We also know that the entire thing could have been done without turnstiles that would have saved oodles of money and cut down on the coming congestion (can't wait to see all the folks lined up in the morning at the King Ed Canada Line station trying to get through three, count 'em, three! gates).

And we know that Cubic, the company that is raking in that $200 million, actually makes mag-strip readers.

And yesterday we learned, via an excellent piece from Michael Mui in 24 Hours, that run-of-the mill folks (i.e. the members of the public who are actually paying the $200 million that will not do one single thing to increase Translink's public transportation capacity) who buy a ticket on a bus (rather than first buy a six dollar Compass Card AND a bus fare prior to going anywhere near a bus) will not be able to transfer onto a train because, of course, Translink doesn't want to pay to install mag-strip readers (that read bus transfers) at the train stations where those uber-expensive turnstiles will be.

Which, of course, is the item that is getting all the play (and a petition) today.

But there was something else buried in Mr. Mui's piece that is worth noting:

...(Spokesperson Derek) Zabel said TransLink expects most customers to use the Compass Card instead, as monthly and pre-loadable options offer a discount of up to 14% as a further incentive to buy...

Hmmmmm....

We noticed the killing of the Faresavers (= discounted 10 packs of fare tickets) a couple of weeks back and we were waiting to see what the 'incentive' would actually be given that a 'stored value option' euphemistic mollifer was waved in our faces by the flack-hackery as a 'don't worry, be happy' flag at the time.

So.

In the place of the Faresavers we now know that Translink will now offer a discount of 'up to' 14%, presumably for purchasing multiple trips on the six dollar Compass card.

Let's see...

A 14% reduction on a $2.75 one zone fare would bring things down to $2.35.

And the current cost of one zone Faresaver ticket?

Well, that would be $2.10.

So the increase for moving to the Compass thingy, on top of the $200 million, is actually a hike of more than 10% of the current Faresaver price for a one zone fare.

Which is a drop-in-the bucket right?

Sure thing.

Unless, of course, you are just scraping by and you have to take public transit to get to and from work on a regular basis.

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The upshot of all this is that I think Vancouver councillor Andrea Reimer may have been right when she tweeted the following a couple of weeks ago:

Especially those of us that need to take it most.

Take public transit, I mean.

OK?


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And, as a post-script, I think it is very important to again note, for future reference (particularly given the past performance of the associated flack-hackery), that there is an 'up to' qualifier linked to that 14%.


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