mr.x
Oct 14, 2007, 3:52 AM
TransLink ticket expiry times to stay in force
Oct 12 2007
A move to extend how long transit tickets are valid has fizzled.
Vancouver Coun. Peter Ladner wanted the expiry time for proof-of-payment tickets increased from 90 minutes to two hours.
He argued the current valid time for a ride sometimes isn’t enough to cover a long trip on the system, especially if congestion is heavy.
TransLink staff reject the idea, saying a wider window of time would cut into TransLink revenues and give much more opportunity to illegal ticket-flippers, who resell discarded but still valid tickets, often for drug money.
It would also have required reprogramming ticket vending machines at a cost of $100,000.
TransLink has had only 34 formal complaints in the past two years about the 90-minute ticket time.
“This issue does not seem to be a major concern to most customers,” a staff report said.
It also notes TransLink’s planned move to a smart card payment system in the next few years will likely bring in an entirely new fare structure that would eliminate current zones and instead charge based on actual distance travelled.
Transit riders may also have more time to use tickets than many realize.
“The proof of payment is still valid as long as the passenger boards the last link of their trip before 90 minutes,” the report says, noting someone could board SkyTrain or a bus 85 minutes after buying or validating the ticket, then legally ride for another 40 minutes for a total trip of more than two hours.
In addition, there’s also a six-minute grace period, so passengers can board as late as the 96-minute mark.
We've heard about the smart card program for quite awhile, but hardly any details about it except that it was to be called "ORCA" or One Card For All until Seattle stole our name because Translink was too slow to go ahead with this program.
I remember reports that said the card would be in operation in 2009, but obviously it won't be ready for many more years. What's exactly a "few" years? 5? 10?
I hate that word.
Oct 12 2007
A move to extend how long transit tickets are valid has fizzled.
Vancouver Coun. Peter Ladner wanted the expiry time for proof-of-payment tickets increased from 90 minutes to two hours.
He argued the current valid time for a ride sometimes isn’t enough to cover a long trip on the system, especially if congestion is heavy.
TransLink staff reject the idea, saying a wider window of time would cut into TransLink revenues and give much more opportunity to illegal ticket-flippers, who resell discarded but still valid tickets, often for drug money.
It would also have required reprogramming ticket vending machines at a cost of $100,000.
TransLink has had only 34 formal complaints in the past two years about the 90-minute ticket time.
“This issue does not seem to be a major concern to most customers,” a staff report said.
It also notes TransLink’s planned move to a smart card payment system in the next few years will likely bring in an entirely new fare structure that would eliminate current zones and instead charge based on actual distance travelled.
Transit riders may also have more time to use tickets than many realize.
“The proof of payment is still valid as long as the passenger boards the last link of their trip before 90 minutes,” the report says, noting someone could board SkyTrain or a bus 85 minutes after buying or validating the ticket, then legally ride for another 40 minutes for a total trip of more than two hours.
In addition, there’s also a six-minute grace period, so passengers can board as late as the 96-minute mark.
We've heard about the smart card program for quite awhile, but hardly any details about it except that it was to be called "ORCA" or One Card For All until Seattle stole our name because Translink was too slow to go ahead with this program.
I remember reports that said the card would be in operation in 2009, but obviously it won't be ready for many more years. What's exactly a "few" years? 5? 10?
I hate that word.