Dear Editor:
I do not know how many years it has been going on, but did you know that bus drivers leave their doors open when they get to the end of the line and leave for coffee etc.? This enables people to ride for free.
Lonsdale Quay is an excellent place to observe this.
As a result of the above I will be voting No in the referendum.
Emily Wilson
North Vancouver
Editor’s note: When asked, TransLink media relations manager Cheryl Ziola explained, saying “bus operators normally secure all the doors when they leave the bus for any reason, ensuring any remaining passengers know how to leave in case of any emergency. However, to accommodate passenger complaints about waiting outside in inclement weather until an operator returned, the doors are sometimes left open, depending on the location, weather etc.”
Prior to leaving the bus, operators disable the farebox to prevent anyone from issuing transfers, Ziola said, adding that “anyone boarding the bus in the operator’s absence is still responsible to pay their fare or they risk a fare infraction ticket. “While the perception may be that passengers are boarding without paying a fare, the reality is that the majority (80 per cent) of passengers are using pre-paid media, such as monthly passes, fare savers etc. or transferring from SeaBus where they’ve already paid a fare,” she said. “About 20 per cent of bus fare transactions on average would be cash, but at terminus stations such as Lonsdale Quay where people have transferred from SeaBus, this is probably a lower percentage.”
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