Fares Up – TransLink’s Customers Pay More For Planning Incompetence.

Yes, yes, we knew this was coming, fare increases.

TransLink, by refusing to do real cost cutting measures, has opened the door for fare increases. Yet those paying the least, the residents of Vancouver, have the most transit options, including three mini-metro lines; 13 trolley bus routes; and scores of urban bus routes. Those living in zone 2, Richmond, Burnaby,Ai??New WestminsterAi??and the North Shore, have reasonable transit options, including mini-metro and SeaBus. But it is those living in zone 3 that pay the most (if they travel outside zone 3) for the least transit options. This inequity has not been addressed by TransLink, nor do they want to, as it entails work.

What a concept, those working at TransLink doing real work on the public behalf!

One just hates to repeat it, but the real villainAi??responsible for the fare increases is the SkyTrain and the Canada Line mini-metros, which cost the taxpayer far more toAi??fund and operate thanAi??all the bus routes combined. TransLinkAi??and the TransLink board refuse to admit this unsavoury fact and by doing so, has taken the easy way out by increasing fares and hopefully increasing taxes.

Until TransLink gets real with SkyTrain and opts for much cheaper light rail (which can be built as a mini-metro if so desired and still operate cheaper than SkyTrain), fares will continue to increase, to pay for the hiddenAi??mini-metroAi??supplement.

The sad thing of course is that this was all predicted by transit experts of the day, when the Social Credit government forced SkyTrain on the region; restated by experts of the day when the provincial NDP again forced the SkyTrain Millennium Line on the region; and again just a few years ago when the BC Liberal party forced the Canada Line on the region.

The Evergreen line will see its own special fare increases in due course and have a nice day!

Transit fares increasing as of Jan. 1

By Kent Spencer, The ProvinceNovember 13, 2012

Metro Vancouver transit users are going to have to dig in their pockets forAi?? extra coins beginning on Jan. 1.

Thatai??i??s when one- and two-zone transit fares go up by 25 cents, and aAi?? three-zone fare increases by 50 cents.

TransLink says the increases are allowed under legislation which permitsAi?? prices to rise by an inflationary two per cent per year.

ai???Cash fares have not gone up since 2008,ai??? TransLink spokesman Derek ZabelAi?? said on Tuesday.

ai???Itai??i??s never an easy decision to increase fares, but weai??i??ve tried to do it inAi?? an affordable way for everybody,ai??? he said.

With the increases, a one-zone will cost $2.75, a two-zone $4 and aAi?? three-zone $5.50.

Day passes, monthly passes, employer pass program and HandyDART fares are also increasing by 12.5 per cent, as well as the price of a ticket on the West Coast Express. The price of FareSaver tickets does not change.

Don MacLeod, president of the Canadian Auto Workers union representing 3,600 bus drivers, said the public wonai??i??t appreciate higher fares when some routes are being cut.

ai???People donai??i??t mind paying more if theyai??i??re seeing more service. TransLink is going in the opposite direction,ai??? he said.

ai???It is eliminating some low ridership routes and realigning others. Theyai??i??re providing less service, not more,ai??? he said.

Ai?? Copyright (c) The Province

http://www.theprovince.com/business/Transit+fares+increasing/7543084/story.html#axzz2CCnxAtsh