Transit riders won’t be using their Compass cards right away after technical issues have delayed the next phase of the program.
Compass cards were to be in place months ago, and card-ready gates for them have been sitting in SkyTrain stations for months.
However, TransLink announced Tuesday that the cards will be delayed again due to issues with the tap-in and tap-out system on buses.
“We need to make sure that we get this right so we can deliver a modern, high-functioning system that consistently works well for our customers,†said TransLink chief operating officer Doug Kelsey.
The transit authority says it will provide another update in October.
A testing period is underway for those who have been issued a Compass card. When the card is fully rolled out, it will replace all other passes and cards on the system, including the West Coast Express, according to TransLink.
Users are supposed to both tap in and tap out when getting on and off transit to mark how many zones they have traveled.
TransLink will stick with its zone system at first when the cards are fully introduced. However, it is expecting to alter the system based on data gathered from the useage of the cards themselves, possibly eliminating the familiar zone system.
Cash will still be in use for buses, but for most other uses of the system, cards will be the main entry point, and the cards will allow access to gates at SkyTrain stations.
For now, with the cards delayed again, the gates remain open.
The budget for the system was originally $171.3 million, but it has risen to $194 million.
- With files from the Vancouver Sun