Transit users who depend on FareSaver booklets, for discount savings on TransLink’s public transit fares, are having trouble purchasing the tickets due to a lack of supply.
The transportation authority says the FareSaver shortage is solely a supplier issue as the company that produces the tickets has declared bankruptcy.
“We’ve heard from our customers seeking FareSaver booklets that they’re frustrated. We’ve been frustrated by this too,” TransLink spokesperson Chris Bryan told Vancity Buzz.
“In recent months, the company that supplies FareSavers has been unable to provide full shipments, which at first we were told was due to a supplier issue. We’ve since learned the company was going through bankruptcy proceedings.”
TransLink hopes to have the issue resolved sometime next week when another shipment arrives from the company’s new owners. A shipment of three-and-a-half pallets totalling 126,000 booklets is anticipated.
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Until then, transit users are advised to call TransLink’s Customer Service hotline at 604-953-3333 to find out where FareSavers are still available for purchase.
The shortage is not associated with any Compass Card issues, although the FareSavers will be discontinued at the end of the year when the Compass Card’s implementation phases are fully implemented.
Each FareSaver booklet contains 10 transit fare tickets, providing passengers with major discounts compared to the price of the tickets purchased from a SkyTrain fare machine or bus fare machine.
Transit fares using a single FareSaver ticket are $2.10 per ticket for one-zone travel (normally $2.75; 24% discount), $3.15 per ticket for two-zone travel (normally $4.00; 21% discount), and $4.00 per ticket for three-zone travel (normally $5.50; 24% discount).
Cheaper fares are coming to Metro Vancouver’s transit system this fall. The Compass Card rollout is next month and all bus travel in the entire region will be through a one-zone $2.75 fare. However, the multi-zone fare system will remain for SkyTrain and SeaBus services.
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