TransLink, the transportation authority responsible for public transport in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, will be offering a wearable payment option for customers.
The wristbands are highly durable for frequent use. They can be reloaded online, at a Compass vending machine, by phone or in person. The waterproof, silicone wristband taps to open the fare gates just like a regular Compass Card.
TransLink says 2,000 wristbands will be made available for the first batch, with 1,000 baby blue-colored wristbands for riders with an adult fare and 1,000 orange-colored wristbands for riders with a concession fare, reports Daily Hive.
Given there are some 500,000 riders a day, 1,000 wristbands is not a lot, said TransLink spokesperson Jill Drews.
A huge lineup just to get a better transit product – a wrist band Compass Card – oh why oh why did @TransLink only produce such a limited amount? pic.twitter.com/K8aZTnKOUa
— Dale Bracewell (@Dale_Bracewell) December 3, 2018
“If they go like hotcakes in the next week or so, we’ll order some more,” she said.
Each wristband costs $6.00, which is the same deposit to acquire a card. If there is sufficient demand, the public transit authority will order more wristbands early next year.
This fall, staff were seen using the wristbands as part of an extensive testing process.
Read more Sydney Commuters Can Now Use Credit or Debit Cards to Tap Onto Trains
Other major transit systems elsewhere in the world have also introduced alternative wearable devices to their transit payment smart cards.
TransLink, however, isn’t the first to test this wearable technology. Brazil launched RioCard contactless transport wristbands for visitors ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympics.
