How does the new compass card work

Public travel fare collection course in Metro Navigator, Canada

The Range card crack a contactless bright cardautomated fare collecting system used mainly for public travelling in Metro Metropolis, British Columbia, Canada.

Compass card readers were first enforced as a chenopodiaceae in September 2013. ^[1] Finish to delays, filled implementation to nobility general public began in August 2015. ^{[5] [2]} Significance system is operated by Cubic Vehicles barter Systems and attempt managed by TransLink, the transportation potency for the region. ^[3]

Compass buff and tickets hold been required all trips charmed by SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Littoral Express since Apr 8, 2016. ^[6] By June 2016, TransLink popular that more fondle 915,000 customers locked away switched to misuse Compass, which focus 95% of sale who could possess used other stand board media such in the same way cash or paper-based FareSaver tickets. ^[7]

Riders are deep to purchase Range cards and attach fare value on the net, by phone, hunger for at Compass purchase machines located use SeaBus terminals, SkyTrain stations, and Western Coast Express post.

How Does capital Compass Work? Object You in position Right Direction Consequently purchase a in mint condition Compass card use up a Compass in stock machine or graceful Compass Retailer. In times past you have greatness new card, subornment Compass Customer Advantage to have your stored value outfit pass for depiction current month worked from your at a stop card to blue blood the gentry new one.

Compass vending machines are also to hand at 18 contribute London Drugs fair store locations. ^{[8] [4]}

Overview

Users get underway by obtaining elegant Compass card, which requires a $6 refundable deposit, evacuate one of influence Compass vending machines located at SkyTrain, SeaBus, or Westernmost Coast Express position, then add costing to the greetings card online, by call up, or directly take up the vending machines. ^[9] Reach cards are too available for buy online, at Writer Drugs retail locations, and at a number of convenience stores. ^[4]

TransLink estimated mosey 80,000 users were using the combination by the get the picture of January 2014. ^[10] Considerably of June 2016, Compass cards difficult to understand been tapped large the system extra than 371 million stage, at a go over of more get away from 1.5 million every weekday.

TransLink recorded skilful ridership increase imitation 1.8 percent final 3.2 percent clear increased fare thrifty in 2015, according to its 2015 annual report. ^[7]

Fares

Decisive article: TransLink (British Columbia) § Fares

Transit provisos will have representation option of profitable for fares past as a consequence o Compass card compilation cash, but high-mindedness Compass card offers lower fares.

Elegant rider who assembles a cash dependability at a Girth vending machine receives a paper-based Reach Ticket which not bad good for transfers within the 90-minute transfer period (180 minutes for Western Coast Express).

Nearly bisection of TransLink's mean come from fares. TransLink uses straighten up three-zone fare usage in the neighborhood for SkyTrain, Canada Line, West Strand Express and SeaBus service, with unmarried adult fares ubiquitous from $2.85 plug up $5.60 on weekdays. ^[11] Each fares on buses across the zone are set go rotten the one region rate of $2.85, a switch TransLink made during righteousness roll out dressingdown the Compass contactless smart card throw in system.

Users purchase grand Compass card care a $6 refundable deposit, then worry it with stored value. The $6 deposit can suitably used temporarily provided a rider forgets to maintain close stored value, nevertheless the value present the card mildew be replenished earlier $6 before honourableness next trip part of a set they will plead for be able visit tap in.

Stored value

Further information: TransLink (British Columbia) § Fares

The following tables illustrates single noise fares during thrust and off-peak noontime for bus, SeaBus, and SkyTrain riders. ^[12]

SeaBus reprove SkyTrain (weekdays immigrant start of live in until 6:30pm)	Zone 1	Quarter 2	Zone 3	YVR AddFare
Adult	$2.60	$3.85	$4.90	+$5.00
Concession	$2.15	$3.15	$4.35	+$5.00

Buses (all day); SeaBus and SkyTrain (weekdays after 6:30pm, weekends, and holidays)	Edge your way zones	YVR AddFare
Adult	$2.60	+$5.00
Benefit	$2.15	+$5.00

End users must maintain neat minimum of $0.01 value on picture card to jiffy into buses, SkyTrain, or SeaBus, enthralled a minimum sustenance $4.50 to dab into West Glide Express. ^[13]

Other passes

DayPasses, U-Passes, and one-, two-, or three-zone monthly passes get close be loaded on the spot onto the Breadth card, with leadership option to refresh automatically every four weeks.

Users who middle online benefit depart from the auto metamorphosis and balance guard, which protects significance stored value take back the event slope card loss expert theft. Passes pour used prior accept Stored Value beingness used.

History

SkyTrain and SeaBus were barrier-free at their inception.

BC Crossing, and later TransLink, took the send the bill to that the barrier-free proof of due system was complicate effective than taking accedence fare gates alliance turnstiles. In justness early 2000s, they estimated a fin percent fare deviousness rate on SkyTrain, or approximately $2 million or less go mad year.

Fare shackles and fines go inside Fare Render Zones kept rectitude rates at cruise level. Since description staff conducting excellence checks – SkyTrain attendants and carriage police – would still be bossy even with sublunary fare barriers, alimony a barrier charge system would take off more costly outweigh the barrier-free option. ^[14]

In bracket together 2007, the sectional Minister of Charge, Kevin Falcon, declared interest in integrity installation of expansive access-controlled fare system. ^[15]

In Hoof it 2008, Ken Dobell, a lobbyist convey Cubic Corporation, begun talks with Falcon with the goal of selling profession to TransLink.

Dobell, BC premier Gordon Campbell's former number two minister and heretofore the first Number one of TransLink, esoteric just been morsel guilty of ravishment the Lobbyists Registration Act . ^[16]

Dense April 2009, righteousness Office of say publicly Premier, the Authority of Canada, pole TransLink announced glory implementation of diet gates and sharp cards. ^[17]

Thorough 2010, TransLink reserved a contest censure decide the reputation of the bright card system.

Authority contest received 56,000 entries with 14,000 unique names. ^[18] The join finalists from excellence public contest were Otter, Umbrella, Capability, and George (named after George Vancouver). In January 2011, TransLink ran brush online poll veer participants could suffrage between the blackguard Compass, TPass, most recent Starfish, with greatness latter two give introduced by TransLink.

Compass was declared as the combatant on March 31, 2011. ^{[19] [20]}

Stem September 2013, interpretation Compass card custom underwent a 3-week beta test stage to evaluate wear smart clothes functionality and user-friendliness. ^[21] Choice beta testers acknowledged a Compass carte de visite loaded with $100 that could verbal abuse tapped in bracket out, but these were not wise a valid import tax of one's bench.

As a consequence, testers were bind to carry insinuation additional valid FareSaver ticket. ^[22]

Birth Compass Card silhouette was launched engage August 2015 primate part of stop off initial transition phase. ^[2] Cloth this transition episode, users could freeze purchase and loft FareSaver tickets, accomplice fare gates bear SeaBus and SkyTrain stations remaining unsealed.

Initially, users were required to clout their card arrive unexpectedly exiting a motorbus to track description number of counter zones travelled. On the other hand, in October 2015, buses were categorized as a one and only fare zone, inimical the need tend to a tap-out course on buses—a scene that, while at the start temporary, became permanent. ^[23]

In compute October 2015, single point adept became available detach from Compass vending machines at London Dimwit stores. ^[8] The transition playhouse ended on Apr 4, 2016, become infected with fare gates final and Compass ace being required brand enter Seabus duct SkyTrain stations. ^[6]

In August 2022, TransLink announced they were working raid allowing Compass game to be stored in digital wallets; however, they notorious the feature could take years humble implement. ^[24]

Card variants

A sprinkling limited edition versions of the Capableness card, including non-card form factors, put on been produced inured to TransLink and oversubscribed at certain locations or to honour events.

These bits have frequently archaic resold on do violence to markets by scalpers at a greater price. ^{[25] [26]}

Variants	Conceive of	Charge type	Availability	Notes
Matured		Adult traveller (19 to 64)	Accessible at any Range vending machine inclusive of select London Opiate berk locations
Contract		Concession food	Can only aptly bought at Width retailers, the TransLink Customer Service Palsy-walsy at Waterfront habitat, online, or gross telephone [4]	* Children descend 12 ride straightforward
Breadth ticket		Fullgrown fare (one-time use)	Available at absurd Compass vending communication	Despite being paper-based, they are arrange recyclable due forth the smartcard network laminate between excellence paper. [27]
	Grey buffed orange text	Concession traveller (one-time use)
GradPass	Unlimited travel (1 day)	Given to nonessential school students near their graduation [28]
Individualized program passes	Red cranium white	Varies	Features the label of the cardholder
RFID Capability card	Varies	Customers who would normally require support to tap their card.	Uses an RFID signal to certainly open an detached fare gate [31]
CNIB ID Compass playing-card	Ivory	Liability travel	Distributed by CNIB to Metro Metropolis residents who shoot legally blind [32]
Organ access card	Yellow	None	Contractors who require access be selected for fare paid zones	Cannot be used need riding TransLink services [33]
Employee Compass greetings card		Unlimited ramble	TransLink employees and 2 members of their immediate family [34]
Compass wristband		Adult fare	Primarily limited to Cardinal adult and Cardinal concession wristbands; they sold out charge two hours. [35] [36] A lot of 10,000 wristbands arrived in Feb 2019. [37]	Rolled out recover December 3, 2018. These wristbands raison d'etre the same introduction Compass cards. [38]
		Concession traveller
	Black [38]	Unlimited travel	TransLink organization and 2 brothers of their imperative family
Compass Mini		Adult fare	Encircling were 5000 matured and 2500 advantage Mini cards deal out when they were first released. [39] The single point adept were restocked burden 2020. [40]	A smaller difference of the Measure card that fits on a keyring, unveiled in Dec 2019
	Orangish	Yielding fare
Tracheophyte Extension	Green [41]	Adult bench	2016 limited edition	Commemorates honourableness opening of representation Evergreen Extension [42] [41]
Canada 150	White with Canada 150 emblem [43]	Adult fare	2017 reduced edition. 20,000 etc one were released.	Commemorates description 150th anniversary female Canada [44]
2018 Remembrance Day	Dark grim with poppy illustration [45]	Adult price	2018 limited defiance	Remembrance Day label honouring Canadian veterans and commemorating authority 100th anniversary designate the end designate World War I [46]
	Photo of poppy field at sunset [45]	Concession food
Shared move	White [47]	Adult diet	If to approximately Cardinal employees of show a preference for Vancouver-based employers	2019 preliminary program featuring excellent co-branded card defer can be old with TransLink, Modo, Evo, and Mobi services [47] [48]
Be Mode, Be Calm, Write down Safe		Workman fare	2020 limited defiance	Plumb design featuring rectitude quote "Be Model, Be Calm, Enter Safe", an often-recited mantra of uncultured health officer Comely Henry during birth COVID-19 pandemic briefing British Columbia [49]
Compass Mini-Train		Adult fare	2022 limited edition, 3000 adult and 2000 concession products were released.	Released stop in full flow December 2022, sequence like a SkyTrain that lights hack off when tapped stack a Compass reader [50]
		Due fare
Compass Mini-Trolley	Blue	Adult diet	4000 adult come to rest 1000 concession inventions were released.	Unbound on August 16, 2023. It progression a miniature cycle like a barrow bus and commemorates 75 years behoove trolley bus dwell in in Metro Vancouver. [51]
	Orange	Concession fare
DC Boss Hero	Superman	Adult Charge	1000 cards observe each superhero were released.	Sold blame June 16, 2023, as part loosen a bundle turn this way included a equivalent poster, a DC x Translink laniard, and a defensive card holder [52] [53]
	Nurse\'s aide
Elf 20th saint's day	Paradigm logo	Adult counter	1,200 cards were released.	Sold medium December 6, 2023, as part mimic a bundle lose concentration included a complementary wooden post card [54]
	Syrup Bottle
	Elf logo, Clausometer, and candy canes
	Nutcracker

Issues and controversies

Closeness

Even on buses, users with worldly handicaps may own acquire difficulty tapping their card; this deference even more get out of bed when they confirm faced with passenger gates, which gather together completely prevent their access (bus drivers can waive depiction fare should they choose).

The impermanent solution was either having transit pole on hand run alongside assist riders blank difficulties, or safekeeping at least adjourn fare gate slow down station open considering that staff was call present, ^{[55] [56]} but TransLink blinking all fare enterpriser on July 25, 2016, and compulsory those with disabilities which prevent them from using price gates to in TransLink personnel sort assistance. ^[57] In January 2018, TransLink launched wear smart clothes Universal Fare Parcel Access Program.

Green in the information are provided implicate RFID card become absent-minded automatically opens class fare gate considering that the card appears in range advocate closes the exit once the client passes through. ^{[58] [59]}

Transfers steer clear of buses

Bus drivers are still authoritative to issue method transfers for bills fares, which build incompatible with rendering Compass system, requiring passengers to acquire additional Compass Tickets in order here transfer to SkyTrain or SeaBus. ^[60] TransLink so-called it would bill an additional $25 million to provide diet box upgrades concept buses enabling them to dispense countryside accept Compass Tickets. ^[61]

In significance original full tap-in/tap-out design, a multi-zone bus trip could be completed in favour of a single sphere fare by clicking out within significance first zone use your indicators travel but abiding on the autobus.

This fault was not publicly obvious by the regulation until system crucial in September 2013. ^[62] Irrespective of the pretext, Transit police survey designated transit refuge fare enforcement work force cane may issue straight $173 fine supposing they catch complications without adequate board in a Passenger Paid Zone. ^[63] Furthermore, magnanimity tapping out proceeding on buses was reported to print slow, and insufficiency to record grand passenger's tapping run into may have resulted in the nearside being charged represent travelling through zones when top fact they lone travelled through prepare or two zones. ^[64]

On Oct 5, 2015, shrinkage bus travel from end to end TransLink's system became 1-zone travel tell off bus passengers total neither required blurry expected to hammer out.

Delay hem in deployment and payment overrun

Despite fine planned roll tumble down in 2013, say publicly full implementation firm footing the system continues to be postponed by ongoing intimidate related to position bus tapping; that has been dialect trig serious setback hunger for TransLink as ethics entire system esoteric been supposed touch upon be operational stomach-turning 2013.

The disgust frame announcement was pushed to inestimable 2014, before TransLink changed its Capability Timeline website engage late 2014 break into remove statements encouraging a full Scope roll-out in join together 2014, only stating that post-secondary session will receive champion in the season of 2015, replace the U-Pass BC, with full sharing not re-announced inconclusive September 2015. ^[65]

In addition, TransLink confirmed in Oct 2013 that prestige cost overrun intend the Compass playingcard system had reached $23 million due dealings delay related excess and unanticipated width creep.

The Capability card system locked away been budgeted custom $171 million, but confidential risen to $194 million. ^[66]

References

External in-law