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eMoney News

Transit cards 'vital' for Canadian transport network
7 Jul 2010

Transit cards will be an integral part of the regional transport network in Vancouver, it has been claimed.

The smart cards will allow users to seamlessly travel across various forms of transport without the need for cash.

Ken Hardie, a spokesperson for local travel authority Translink, expressed his belief that the cards will be "vitally important" for the authority as they can provide a range of information on consumers travel habits.

He told CBC News: "Smart cards are going to be vitally important to us because we'll be able to tell who's using the system at what time for what length of trip - all of the data that we need to ensure that the various routes and the services and the schedules out there are as efficient and as effective as possible."

Payment gates will be installed across some of the region's bus and train stations, including SkyTrain and SeaBus lines, to combat fare dodgers.

The new smart card system could be fully operational by 2013.