Every since I began taking public transportation, I began to understand the complaints my fellow peers had been making. Not only were the bus drivers rude, but they sometimes chose not to stop in front of my school. This would lead to angry students which I believed was a factor into why they pranked and fought near the bus stops.
One should realize the importance of smooth public transit. With a better service, more individuals will contribute positively to environment by saving gas. However, TransLink has made a decision to avoid fixing its service problems (not just with the personnel, but also with the vehicles), and chose to finance a project to launch Compass Cards.

I’m sure everyone knows of how these Compass Cards are supposed to decrease the number of ‘free rides’ people get. However, does that loss deem more important than the loss from potential customers resorting to other ways of transportation due to the constant problems arising with TransLink? Recently, the sky train from King George stopped due to a machine malfunction. This led to late workers and students that were frustrated. By budgeting their money into the maintenance of their service, they can gain a higher percentage of citizens using public transit. I believe that this would contribute more positively than focusing on eliminating ‘free rides’.

In another perspective, the individuals that get these unpaid rides are those who are most likely not willing to pay for the Compass Cards. Therefore, by establishing these cards, the difference in revenue will not be significant. Instead, targeting those that are willing to pay for and are able to afford tickets will bring in higher sales.

TransLink needs to rethink their approach into making profits and re-evaluate their target market. As a UBC student, I cannot be any more thankful for our UPasses.

To read about the purpose of Compass Cards, check out the news article!
http://bc.ctvnews.ca/translink-defends-compass-cards-despite-fare-evasion-loophole-1.1500292

http://globalnews.ca/news/919541/no-refunds-or-fare-amnesty-after-tuesdays-major-skytrain-delays-translink/