Hello Buzzer readers!

If you have been following our recent posts, you probably know that we are now just over halfway through the beta testing phase for the Compass Card. This is an exciting time for all of us as we slowly introduce the first smart-card technology for our transit system here!

Vancouver is not the first to incorporate smart-card technology into their transit systems; there are many major cities who already have successfully implemented the system. Some examples of places include Hong Kong, London, and New York.

In Metro Vancouver, we have culturally diverse communities with people from all over the world. Some may have moved here from their homeland, others may be travellers.

Personally, I have not yet had the pleasure of using an electronic farecard in a different city, but I have heard great things about the Octopus Card in Hong Kong. Some of my friends are very excited to see Vancouver launch a similar smart-card system with the Compass Card.

Today’s poll will be about the transit systems with electronic farecards. Take the poll and tell us: Have you used any other smart-card systems around the world? What was your experience like?

Author: Angela Chang