Social network giants Facebook and Twitter are being used in the abuse of bus transfers in Greater Victoria, cheating B.C. Transit out of at least $200,000 a year in potential revenue.
The tickets are supposed to be used by riders to catch a connecting bus or a return trip within 90 minutes B次元官网网址� not reused or sold.
An eyeglass case full of transfers was recently left behind on a public transit bus, each with a letter of the alphabet, good for travelling on certain days.
B次元官网网址淵ou keep that in your pocket, you never have to hand in those transfers. You could probably travel transit for free for a whole year,B次元官网网址� said Manuel Achadinha, B.C. Transit president and chief executive officer.
Adult fares for B.C. Transit buses in Greater Victoria cost $2.50 and a monthly pass is $82.50.
Some of that lost revenue will come out of taxpayer pockets, part of the reason behind a $28 transit tax increase this year per household in the Capital Regional District.
Transit officials were shocked to learn last fall that Facebook groups and Twitter accounts were being used to spread the word about the transfer letter of the day.
Facebook shut down the first group at B.C. TransitB次元官网网址檚 request, but that didn't last long. It now has 30 members. and 14 people follow a similar Twitter page, but membership is not required for either.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the challenge with social media,B次元官网网址� said Achadinha. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very powerful and at times a dangerous tool.B次元官网网址�
A disclaimer on the Facebook page says B次元官网网址渢his is for entertainment only. If you close this group, weB次元官网网址檒l just start another one. So ... let us be entertained.B次元官网网址�
The Twitter account has a similar plug. B次元官网网址淲hat is todayB次元官网网址檚 letter? For those of us who love knowing the bus transfer of the day. Disclaimer: This is intended for purely curiosityB次元官网网址檚 sake.B次元官网网址�
To combat fraud and offset B.C. TransitB次元官网网址檚 financial straits, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission agreed last week to scale the 90-minute transfer window back to 60 minutes, and restrict its open use to anywhere in Greater Victoria to a one-way trip.
The bus company will soon print new paper tickets that feature anti-fraud colour coding and dates. The changes could come into effect as early as April 1.
B次元官网网址淏y you frauding the system, all youB次元官网网址檙e doing is putting the burden onto taxpayers,B次元官网网址� Achadinha said.
emccracken@vicnews. com
