TransLink to create new measures to reduce fare evasion

Fare gates at a SkyTrain station. (Josef Hanus/Shutterstock)

Have you ever witnessed someone forcefully pushing through the flaps of a SkyTrain or SeaBus fare gate? Maybe you’ve been tailgated by someone who sneaks through after you. Or perhaps you’ve noticed someone not tapping their card on the bus or paying a cash fare.

And perhaps you are a regular public transit rider who has witnessed this behaviour more frequently in recent years.

TransLink now appears to be ready to clamp down on this behaviour.

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On Thursday morning, Daily Hive Urbanized reported TransLink’s new multifaceted strategy to create $90 million in annual cost efficiencies — from both cost reductions and revenue opportunities — including increasing fare evasion enforcement. 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 major service cuts starting in late 2025 if the funding gap is not filled.

Upon further inquiry, TransLink spokesperson Dan Mountain says “the plan is to have high-visibility fare enforcement on the system to encourage people to pay their fares.” He told Daily Hive Urbanized more details will be shared in the coming weeks.

Constable Amanda Steed, a spokesperson for TransLink’s Metro Vancouver Transit Police, says there has been an increase in the number of fare evasion tickets issued when comparing the statistics of the first quarter of 2024 with the first quarter of 2023.

A TransLink board report last week shows the number of violation tickets went up by 59% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter of 2023, before Transit Police began deploying the new rank of Community Service Officers (CSOs) — unarmed peace officers who carry batons, pepper spray, and handcuffs, with responsibilities such as community engagement, transit safety education, evidence collection, perimeter security at police incidents, crowd control, support at large events, and fare enforcement. CSOs are intended to provide another layer of safety, working alongside Transit Police officers and SkyTrain attendants, and enable Transit Police officers to focus on serious crime.

Steed told Daily Hive Urbanized part of the increase in the number of fare evasion tickets issued over the past year can be partly attributed to the addition of 24 CSOs.

“Part of the role of Community Safety Officers is enforcement of fare bylaws and transit conduct and safety regulations, and so the addition of Community Safety Officers has increased the volume of fare enforcement being conducted,” she said.

In addition to Transit Police officers and CSOs, TransLink also has 63 full-time Transit Security officers, who are employed under the TransLink subsidiary of Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC).

According to TransLink, Transit Security officers provide proactive high-visibility security presence, patrols, and respond to calls for service throughout the transit system, and one of their existing main duties is fare compliance through either education or fare enforcement.

It is noted that Transit Security officers will play a pivotal role in the upcoming fare enforcement program.

In another TransLink board report earlier this year, it was stated that the number of fare infraction notices on an annual basis went up by 19% from 3,955 notices in 2022 to 4,692 in 2023.

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 month’s report highlighted a May 2024 incident when two Transit Police officers and one CSO were conducting fare checks at SkyTrain Marine Drive Station.

“The CSO was dealing with a person who provided false information. This person suddenly fled and pushed through the gate to exit. A foot pursuit followed and the person was taken to the ground. They were arrested by Transit Police officers and a firearm was located in their waistband and second firearm also located (loaded antique semi auto pistol and antique revolver). The individual was transported to Vancouver Police cells to be held for court,” stated Transit Police in their board report.

In another incident in March 2024, a Transit Police officer saw a person push through a fare gate at SkyTrain Main Street-Science World Station. The individual was stopped by the officer for the fare evasion, and a search on the police records system revealed that the person had an outstanding Canada-wide warrant from the Vancouver Police for arson.

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 new their driver’s license or vehicle insurance. On the 180th day after the ticket was issued, the fine will go up by $40.00. On the 366th day after the ticket was issued, the fine will go up by $60.00.

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.

All the while, the region is also seeing a worsening housing affordability and living cost crisis. TransLink has recommended the potential creation of expanded discounted fares for low-income individuals, but only if the estimated $70 million reduction in annual fare revenues can be subsidized by senior governments.

TransLink’s annual fare increase will go ahead as planned on Canada Day, July 1, 2024, kicking off several years of higher annual fare increases to better account for inflation and increase service levels to help address overcrowding.

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