The past week hasn’t been the best for transit.
With major citywide SkyTrain failures disrupting the movement of commuters, TransLink announced a free transit day to take place across Metro Vancouver on Monday, August 4 – or the statutory holiday, B.C. Day.
We looked at past free days and thought the decision for it to happen on a stat holiday could be due to the possibility of capacity concerns. When we asked TransLink, they told us this:
TransLink is offering free service on BC Day to show our appreciation for our customers. BC Day was chosen over a regular weekday so as to not inconvenience our regular customers who are trying to get to work by adding additional volume to the trains at peak travel times. Some people will be working on BC Day and they can use the system to get them there. This is a system-wide “fare holiday” for everyone, whether they travel by bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, HandyDart or West Coast Express.
Monthly FareCard-buying transit riders were obviously upset throughout the recurring inconveniences, and the free day pass on, likely, majority’s day off isn’t a help. Here are some of the tweets that have come in over the past couple days.
Do you think TransLink did the right thing offering a system-wide fare holiday?
@TransLink The free day of transit doesnt help the monthly pass users that pretty much use transit everyday that were affected by everything
— Brendan Barth (@Brendan_Barth) July 24, 2014
Hey @TransLink, making BC day free doesn’t help those who buy monthly passes because they use your system so damn much…
— Megan te Boekhorst (@meganteb) July 23, 2014
@TransLink In fact, the majority of people who were affected probably have those monthly passes so how are you making it up to…
— Megan te Boekhorst (@meganteb) July 23, 2014
@TransLink you want to show appreciation for frustrated customers? How about discounted monthly passes in august?
— Aaron Pearce (@theAaronPearce) July 23, 2014
Hey @TransLink, how does a free day of transit help a monthly pass holder like me? Why apologize only to cash riders and fare saver users?
— Pierre (@phoneyman) July 23, 2014
Oooh look! A free day on transit! Which is USELESS for folks with a monthly pass…..Thanks for nothing, @translink
— Adam H (@wastedsundays) July 23, 2014
Free transit Aug 4 to apologise for skytrain problems… What about those of us who buy monthly passes? As usual we get nothing @TransLink
— Jen Dale (@jendale13) July 23, 2014
@TransLink Why not sell your August monthly pass for 50% off?
— ♫Veronica Vieau♫ (@VeronicaVieau) July 23, 2014
@TransLink I vote for free work day and at least 5% off Aug monthly pass. I don’t plan to take transit on my day off work. Sharpen up TL!
— jeeeeeeeem (@j33333333m) July 23, 2014
@translink Free day on a holiday when ridership is slow is not good enough. Also need compensation for monthly pass holders.
— Johnson Ng (@jdogdotca) July 22, 2014
@TransLink Will monthly passes be reduced by 3 1/2 % to account for the free day?
— Kelly Woloshansky (@Kel_Wolo) July 22, 2014
Not to mention those who were most affected were probably your monthly pass holders who gain no benefit from the gesture. @TransLink
— Vincenza Laudisio (@vincouver) July 23, 2014
@TransLink appreciate the gesture 🙂 but how will this apply to monthly pass users?
— Glenny (@glennygs) July 22, 2014
Free transit from @Translink on Aug1. Wow that helps people who buy monthly passes or paid $5.50. How about discounted monthly fares?
— Kelsey D (@Kelsey_D) July 22, 2014
@TransLink for the people who buy monthly passes, what about 5 or 10% off August passes? Just a thought.
— Jarred Bolen (@crckthsky) July 22, 2014
Feature image: Canada Line via Shutterstock
