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B.C. Transit discontinues 30-day bus passes

Rolling passes are a thing of the past as B.C. Transit revamps its fare products in the wake of the Olympics. Up to now Whistlerites could buy rolling 30-day, seven-day and single-day bus passes.

Rolling passes are a thing of the past as B.C. Transit revamps its fare products in the wake of the Olympics.

Up to now Whistlerites could buy rolling 30-day, seven-day and single-day bus passes. In the case of a 30-day pass, you could buy it on any day of the month and have it apply for a month-long period from that very date. Similarly, you could buy a seven-day pass on a Monday and have it work until the following Sunday.

That regime exists no more, as the transit authority will henceforth only sell monthly passes. The only way to get your full money's worth is to buy a pass on the first of the month.

"The 30-day WAVE card was great for customer service," said Emma DalSanto, transportation demand management coordinator at the Resort Municipality of Whistler. "We liked it, customers liked it, B.C. Transit liked it. Like I said, there was an issue with technology and reliability."

The issue was with the fareboxes, specifically the part that validates the 30-day and seven-day passes. DalSanto said the rolling passes were being tested in Whistler for years but technology ultimately won't allow them to stay.

"They were testing out the technology and after they completed their technology review across the province they decided to stay with the GFI fareboxes that we have, to remove the unit that allows the 30-day pass to be validated on board because it was completely unreliable," she said.

DalSanto went on to say that B.C. Transit is making the change now because Sea to Sky residents were already on monthly passes for February and felt it would be less painful to do it now than later in the year.

Monthly passes are on sale now but only temporary ones are available. If you buy one today (Thursday, March 4) you'll have to pick up an authentic one from the Resort Municipality of Whistler starting on Friday.