TransLink service disruptions coincide with Compass Card rollout

TransLinkwas asking riders to bepatient Mondayas manytransit users reported long waitsgetting and activating the new Compass Cards to replace old monthlypasses.

The transit authority said the vast majority of 100,000 monthlyCompass card users went online this weekend, which resulted in longer than normal delays.

On Monday,TransLinkwas workingwith the contractor to fix problems with the roll-out,but saidriders couldstill expect towait for up totwo hours until themoney actually shows up on their cards.

"The last few days have been the biggest challenge of our system so far ...It's been a very busy time," saidLloyd Bauer, the Compass Card project'svice president.

However, if ridersload up at a station kioskthe amount should be instantlyupdated, he said.

People had to line up Monday to get their cards. The lineup at the Compass card kiosk at the Stadium-Chinatown SkyTrain station was all the way to the curb at 2:45 p.m. PT.

TransLink is also reminding riders that the paper FareSavers cards have not expired and continue to be accepted on the bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus and HandyDART but are slowlybeing phased out. It saysitwon't be selling them after supplies run out likely at the end of the month.

Customers are encouraged to use up theirFareSaversand then switch to the Compass Card, TransLink said.

Shutdowns on service

Riders'frustrationwith the Compass Card roll-outcoincided with service disruptions on the Canada,Expo and Millennium lines Monday the first regular day of work in 2016.

An icy track on theCanada Line forced TransLink to shutdown service between Bridgeport and Marine Drive stations for a short while on Monday morning.

TransLink reported the Expo and Millennium lines were also experiencing temporary delays due to an earlier door issue on one of the trains at Stadium Station, but the service was still running.

The breakdowns come on the first regular work day after the Compass Card replaced paper monthly passes.

Switch creates barrier for homeless people

Meanwhile advocates for homeless people in the Lower Mainland say the switch to the Compass Card spells trouble for those who already struggle to pay transit fares. They fear the added requirement of a $6 deposit will make access to transit even harder for some.

"We know that transit is key to exiting homelessness, key to helping people attend appointments, medical appointments, appointments with workers, it's a significant tool for people to utilize to function," saidWanda Mulholland,community development coordinator for the Burnaby Task Force on Homelessness.

Whereas Translinksays the Compass Card will create convenience for transit users, Mulholland says the same system poses problems for people who live on the streets.

"When you think of people that are in outlying areas, large geographic areas where services are spread very far, and you look at people who are in Burnaby looking to access shelter in Vancouver ... people without identification trying to access the system that requires access to Internet and ability to pay deposits to functionat every turn, people are facing obstacles in terms of transit."