Douglas College students began using the Compass Card at the beginning of May and soon, more post-secondary students in the region will do so, as well.
On May 14, TransLink announced students from Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, B.C. Institute of Technology and Langara College would switch to the Compass Card on June 1.
West Coast Express customers will begin using the card on June 8, according to the press release.
The process may seem slow, but is better for the system in the long run, according to Colleen Brennan, TransLink’s vice-president of communications and customer engagement.
“What we’re doing is, we’re rolling it out in a phased manner,” Brennan said of the cards. “It’s much better to do a phased approach where you layer this in, versus what we call the big bang approach, where you basically issue what would essentially be over a million cards to customers all at once. “
TransLink has looked to other transportation authorities that have introduced similar systems to get ideas as to the best approach, such as a phased roll-out, she said.
At the same time, TransLink has had to consider the different set up here in Metro Vancouver, which has a more complex transit system than many other regions because it is fully integrated, she added.
“There is a level of complexity there that I don’t think was anticipated at the beginning,” she said.
It will also take time for customers to adjust to the changes, including different methods of payment, according to Brennan.
“With West Coast Express, this is the first time our customers will be able to pay for their fare online,” she pointed out.
Many of the glitches and problems that plagued the system in the beginning have be addressed, according to Brennan.
“We’ve made quite a lot of progress, actually, over the last few months, and so, that’s where we’re at now,” she said. “And that’s why we’re able to say, we’re ready to roll out with this.”
Initially, the $194 million Compass Card system was scheduled to launch for West Coast Express users in November 2013, and other users by the spring of 2014, but that timeline was delayed.
TransLink estimates approximately 220,000 people will be using the cards by September, including students from 10 post-secondary schools (130,000), B.C. Bus Pass and TransLink employees (85,000) and West Coast Express customers (7,500).
