TransLink begins enforcement blitz to curb fare evasion

The fare gates at the Dunsmuir Street entrance of SkyTrain's Granville Station. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

TransLink is ramping up efforts to combat fare evasion with a major enforcement blitz that is now officially underway.

As the public transit authority faces losses from fare dodgers, the new initiative will see a surge in fare enforcement patrols for buses, SkyTrain, and SeaBus.

Fare evasion on SkyTrain and SeaBus is often highly visible, with fare dodgers seen forcing their way through or jumping over fare gates, or tailgating fare-paying passengers.

Passengers can expect more high-visibility fare enforcement patrols at transit hubs, including onboard vehicles, with officers asking for and scanning proof of payment for verification.

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Officers will also educate passengers on how to pay, such as which fare products to use, and how to access free or discounted passes for those who qualify, such as the provincial government’s BC Bus Pass and the charitable organizations that donate free TransLink passes.

The increased visibility of police and security officers will also improve the system’s general safety. TransLink board reports over the years have also provided numerous specific examples of incidents involving fare checks or fare evasion through the misuse of fare gates leading to the arrest of individuals with weapons and/or outstanding warrants.

This strategic blitz aims to encourage compliance and ensure that all riders contribute their fair share to the public transit system. The blitz represents a significant step in TransLink’s ongoing efforts to maintain revenue integrity and support the overall sustainability of the transit network.

“Transit fares are an integral part of how we pay for transit services in Metro Vancouver, and the vast majority of people using our system pay their fair share,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn in a statement today.

“It’s unfair that some customers who are able to pay are choosing not to, and this undermines our finances and our ability to operate the transit system.”

TransLink hopes the ongoing blitz will reduce fare evasion by $5 million per year. It is part of TransLink’s new aim to reduce its costs and find efficiencies of $90 million per year.

The blitz began in July 2024, with Transit Security officers alone — not including Transit Police — conducting an all-time record of over 100,000 fare checks, representing a 60% increase from July 2023. This follows the hiring of eight new additional Transit Security officers.

The public transit authority notes that the increased patrols as part of the blitz will continue to ramp up over the coming months and will be spread across Metro Vancouver, with enforcement locations changing regularly.

Individuals caught without paying their fare or without proof of payment in a fare-paid zone are subject to a fine of $173.00, which increases over time if it is not paid. If an individual does not pay the fare infraction ticket, the ticket may be sent to a collection agency, the individual may not be able to obtain or renew their driver’s licence or vehicle insurance. On the 180th day after the ticket was issued, the fine will go up by $40. On the 366th day after the ticket was issued, the fine will go up by $60.

It is not immediately clear how much of TransLink’s revenue is lost due to fare evasion.

About a decade ago, when the Compass system went fully online with the full closure of the fare gates to replace the previous honour system, TransLink stated at the time that the fare gates were working as intended, with fare revenue increasing by about $30 million over the first nine months of the fare gate closures, according to Daily Hive Urbanized’s reporting at the time.

In 2023, TransLink saw $493 million from fare revenue, which is the public transit authority’s largest operating revenue source. This is followed by $463 million from property tax revenue, $391 million from gas tax revenue, and $75 million from parking tax revenue.

While Metro Vancouver’s public transit ridership has now recovered to over 90% of pre-pandemic volumes, fare revenue is still down due to more passengers taking fewer trips on cheaper single-use trip fares as opposed to making frequent trips on more expensive monthly passes.

TransLink is facing a $4.7 billion financial cliff after 2025, when the provincial government’s operating subsidies dry up, which could force the public transit authority to perform drastic service cuts starting in late 2025 or early 2026 if the funding gap is not filled.

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