TransLink Faregate Fiasco – Mr. Dobell wins again!

Stephen Rees’s blog has a good article on TransLink’s faregate fiasco and is well worth a read. The fare gate issue is not one of safety or making people pay, rather it is one of political influence and meddling. If the cost of implementing and operating faregates is $30 million annually as claimed by TransLink and if they only expect to collect $3 million in fares, means that there will be about a $27 million shortfall in revenue. Again, Mr. Campbell and Friends will stick it to the taxpayer to make up the difference in higher taxes and fares for his questionable decisions.

http://stephenrees.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/the-faregate-fraud/

Also for a refresher on Zweisystem’s most recent post on the issue –

http://railforthevalley.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/

AAi??Ai??report prepared by TransLinkA?ai??i??ai???s staff in 2005 predictedAi??Ai??installing fare gates on SkyTrain and the Canada Line would cost more than $30 million a year to install and operate and reduce fare evasion by less than $3 million. WhyAi??Ai??force the cash strapped TransLink to install fare gates? Could it be that Premier Campbell’s formerAi??Ai??deputy ministerAi??Ai??was also a registered lobbyist for Cubic Transportation Systems Inc., purveyors of Faregate and fare card technology. Could it be that whatever Dobell wants – Dobell gets?

For another view on the topic

http://www.straight.com/article-213873/translink-install-fare-gates-skytrain-stations