The following article gives good reason for not installing turnstiles or using smartcards. First, turnstiles and smartcards do not deter fare evasion; secondly, the estimated $5 million revenue loss due to fare evasion is less than the estimated $12 million to $15 million annual operating costs of the turnstile/smartcard operation.

Paying $15 million annually to recover $5 million in evaded faresAi??is just plain stupid!

If anyone needs see why TransLink is in continual Ai??economic chaos, it is the government forced $180 million implementation of turnstiles and smartcards on the SkyTrain/RAV mini-metro system – an expensive ticketing system that TransLink can not afford nor needs.

It is also interesting to note that there is a push by metro operators to do away with turnstiles altogether, as they are seen as a hindrance to transit customers.

ThereAi??could beAi??another reason for TransLink’s 8% estimated loss in revenue: phantom riders or transit customers that never were. TransLink’s method of calculating ridership is an alchemist’s mixture of spot boarding counts, spot loading counts, ticket sales, and more. TransLink’s ridership is based on a computer model, which doesn’t take into account multiple trips per fare paid, like what is happening with the extensive U-Pass program, or monthly passes. Real ridership could be off by as much as 5% to 10%!

Yes, there is fare evasion on our metro transit system, but until TransLink uses meticulous boarding counts and have annual independent audits of ridership, there can be no real claim of massive fare evasion. If there is no massive fare evasion to counter, then there is no need of a $180 million farecard/turnstile system for the metro and the money being better spent on more buses or even, for heavens sake, a Fraser Valley TramTrain service.

TransLink looks to crack down on fare evasion

By Frank Luba, The ProvinceNovember 30, 2010

With fare revenues slipping, TransLink has stepped up checks to make sure people are paying their fares.

TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said Tuesday that third-quarter performance statistics showed the transportation authority was getting an average of $1.91 in revenue per passenger, compared to a budgeted $1.99.

Over the course of the year, that eight cents per passenger could work out to a loss of approximately $5 million.

While thatai??i??s just a small part of the overall fare revenue of $430 million expected in 2010, it was significant enough for TransLink to act.

ai???Itai??i??s money that could be used to do something good,ai??? said Hardie.

In addition to fare evasion, Hardie said the loss in revenue could be also attributed to people stocking up on cheaper FareSaver tickets before the April fare increase.

ai???We ran out [of FareSavers] probably the day before the fare change took place,ai??? said Hardie.

With people using the old, cheaper FareSavers, there were also fewer monthly passes sold, and another decrease in revenue.

TransLink couldnai??i??t do anything about the cheaper tickets, but did try to address fare evasion on both rapid transit and buses.

A revenue task force was set up internally to look at the losses.

ai???They flagged fare evasion as probably one of the things we couldnai??i??t lose at by getting more fare checks,ai??? said Hardie.

Despite the fare checks, statistics donai??i??t show more evasion tickets being handed out.

ICBC keeps the data on evasion tickets, and recorded just 13,992 offences in 2010 up to November 19.

Thatai??i??s behind the pace of 17,874 handed out by transit police in 2009, or even the 16,032 tickets written in 2008.

The $173 fine goes to the provincial government and isnai??i??t linked to any serious restriction such as withholding car insurance. As a result, the percentage of convictions paid has traditionally been low ai??i?? just 12 per cent in 2009, and the same this year.

TransLink chief operating officer Doug Kelsey would like all that to change.

Kelsey wants some real penalties linked to fare evasion and wants TransLink to get the revenue, much like municipalities that get fines from traffic infractions.

ai???They need more impetus to pay their fines,ai??? said Kelsey of apprehended evaders.

ai???Thatai??i??s been on my personal list of things to look at.ai???

The 10,697 tickets from 2010 unpaid through to November 19 represents $1.85 million in lost revenue.

But as soon as the authorities try to crack down with things like fare checks, the cheaters find a new way to beat the system.

Social media is the latest tool making it easier for the fare evaders, because they can alert their friends by just sending out a tweet on Twitter.

A quick search of Twitter revealed this tweet Tuesday from ai???riceroai??i??: ai???Theyai??i??re checking for passes now before you can exit the station from the train at Olympic Village.ai???

The tweet-cheaters will have to find something new in 2013, when TransLink will have turnstiles in place on SkyTrain and the Canada Line, along with Smart Cards.

Of course, that security measure comes with a hefty price tag ai??i?? itai??i??s costing $180 million to purchase and install the equipment.

Ai??

http://www.theprovince.com/TransLink+looks+crack+down+fare+evasion/3908343/story.html