March 29, 2024

Vancouver mayor weighs in on fare evasion

A member of the mayors’ council on regional transportation is weighing in on the recent news coverage of Translink users getting a free ride.

Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson says Translink has homework to do to make sure it’s as efficient as possible, and that people are paying their fares and fines.

“But beyond that, we gotta grow the transit system and that’s a big, big investment that needs to be made. It’s up to the B.C. government to put the pieces in place to enable Translink to grow and Translink has to look after their own backyard and their operations.” 

When asked if he feels there are enough transit police available to catch fare evaders, the mayor wavered.

“Our VPD does a great job. The transit police, I know it’s a fairly recent creation of Translink and it’s a challenging model to police a transit system and create a police force from scratch. And no doubt, it’s costly.”

The province has ordered an audit of Translink in an effort to cover off a $ 30-million shortfall.

CKNW Vancouver News

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