TransLink may cancel U-Pass

After losing up to $15 million a year from missing, stolen, and resold U-Passes, TransLink (BC) is threatening to cancel the student pass program. This year the agency provided about 80,000 U-Passes to students at six Vancouver-area colleges and universities at a discounted rate of $30 per month; the non-transferable passes are good for travel on buses, SkyTrain, and SeaBus. On average, about 11% of U-Passes are lost each year, 5% of students drop out of school but keep the passes, and 2% of passes are unaccounted for. Transit Police sent a letter to Craigslist.org asking for help in preventing online pass sales; so far the website has not responded. “We’re doing our best but we could use more help from the schools, the student associations, and Craigslist,” said TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie. Link to full story in The Vancouver Sun.

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