Skipping SkyTrain fares costly

Skipping SkyTrain fares costly

Metro Vancouver
September 27, 2007

When was the last time you paid full fare for the SkyTrain?

Ciara Nishi, a high school student at North Delta Secondary School, said she didn’t pay for almost two years. And she’s not alone.

“I didn’t pay (because) no one paid. My friends didn’t pay … random people didn’t pay. Sometimes, the fares were too high for me while I was unemployed,” said Nishi, who is member of a Facebook group about fare evasion.

Nishi said she now pays full fare.

According to a 2002 audit, TransLink loses roughly $3 million of its annual revenue of $300 million, as about six per cent of riders don’t pay for their fares.

Sunny, who did not want his last name published, is a resident of Surrey and attends high school in Richmond.

“I go three zones, but only pay for one,” said Sunny. He added it’s easy to scam the system since “no one really checks the tickets.”

But TransLink spokesperson Ken Hardie said fare evaders are committing theft.

“Do these people steal milk at the grocers? (Evading fares) is still stealing … and somebody else has to offset the costs,” said Hardie.

Hardie said a Smart Card system will be implemented within the next three years to combat fare evasion.