There’s been another delay in the roll-out of the controversial Compass Card.
In a release, Translink says its contractor for the Compass Card system “needs more time to resolve technical issues before the next phase of the program can be rolled out to customers.”
We have looked closely at the experiences of other jurisdictions, and we’re confident that we’re doing the right thing by getting these technical issues worked out before we fully offer this new service to all of our customers, said TransLink COO Doug Kelsey.
Translink says the budget for the program remains at $194 million.
WATCH: TransLink’s Doug Kelsey tells Global News about the technical issues delaying the next phase of the Compass Card rollout and what transit riders can expect
Kelsey says that the card readers on buses are the biggest problem with the system. They often take longer than the expected 0.3 seconds to validate the cards. More disconcertingly, they misread cards more than eight per cent of the time – meaning people are being charged incorrect amounts.
The Compass Card was introduced to cut on fare evasion. The system has been rolled out to 85,000 users already.
Another update is not expected until October of this year. The new system was originally supposed to launch in Spring 2013.
READ MORE: Translink Compass card rollout facing lengthy delays
The company that provides the Compass card system, Cubic Transportation Systems, is the target of several lawsuits in the U.S. alleging that users were charged multiple times for a single trip. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
With files from Justin McElroy
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