TransLink, where does the change go?

 

TransLink, where does the change go? An investigation into Compass Card vending machines

Dear TransLink,

We need to talk about your Compass Card vending machines.

Twice now, I have experienced problems trying to use coins to load my Compass Card.

The first time, the machine would not accept my toonies. I eventually had to put in a $20 bill. The machine credited $8 to my Compass Card and returned only $4 in change. That left $8 unaccounted for in the transaction.

Now, it has happened again. I couldn't get the machine to work with my change, and once again I had to resort to putting in a $20 bill.

What exactly is going on?

Your own website advertises that Compass vending machines accept coins and bills up to $20.

But what happens to someone who only has change?

What happens to a senior living on a limited pension, a student, someone receiving income assistance, or someone who has carefully budgeted their last few dollars for transportation?

Not everyone carries a debit or credit card. Not everyone has a $20 bill. And not everyone can afford to have their money tied up in a malfunctioning vending machine.

There is something particularly frustrating about a machine that won't accept the very coins it is advertised to accept, leaving customers to break a $20 bill and potentially receive more unusable coins in return.

This is not a minor inconvenience. It is an accessibility and affordability issue.

Public transportation is an essential service. It connects people to employment, medical appointments, grocery stores, education and family.

For people already struggling financially, every dollar matters.

We talk constantly about making public transportation accessible, encouraging people to leave their cars at home and providing affordable alternatives.

Yet here we are, with payment machines that may prevent people from using the payment method they actually have available.

And let's consider the bigger picture.

Vancouver is experiencing an affordability crisis. People are living on extremely limited incomes. Some are homeless. Others are working multiple jobs and still struggling to get by.

Why should accessing public transportation become another obstacle?

I am requesting a formal investigation.

I want TransLink to:

1. Investigate why Compass vending machines are rejecting $2 coins and other coins.
2. Examine whether this is an isolated problem or occurring across multiple stations.
3. Audit the machines' coin acceptance, change dispensing and transaction records.
4. Explain what happens to money when a machine fails to accept coins or returns incorrect change.
5. Identify how customers can recover money lost through these malfunctions.
6. Explain what maintenance and quality-control procedures are in place.
7. Provide a timeline for correcting any recurring problems.

I also want to know who is accountable.

TransLink is governed by a Board of Directors, chaired by Allan Seckel, and its CEO is Kevin Quinn.

I would like this complaint brought to the attention of both management and the Board.

I am not interested in being told simply to use another payment method.

I want the machines to do what TransLink says they are supposed to do.

A question for TransLink:

If someone arrives at a SkyTrain station with nothing but a handful of toonies and loonies, are they supposed to be able to purchase their fare?

Or has public transportation quietly become another service that works best for people who have bank accounts, credit cards and enough money to absorb the inconvenience when something goes wrong?

People who are already struggling financially should not have to fight a vending machine to access public transportation.

Please investigate this. And please explain where our money is going.

A public transit system should serve the public. All of the public.

This is not just about a few coins. It is about accessibility, accountability and treating people with dignity.