TransLink 'better' at dealing with system shutdown chaos, says board vice chair

TransLink used its annual general meeting on Friday to tell the public the company is improving, not when it comes to preventing system shutdowns, but in dealing with the chaos they cause.

"The recent service disruption that happened earlier this month showed that improvements have been made," said TransLink board vice chair Barry Forbes.

"We were able to get to passengers quicker and provide better communications during the incident."

That's likely little comfort to the thousands of TransLink passengers who were left scrambling during two recent shutdowns of the SkyTrain system.

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Friday's AGM took place in New Westminster, B.C. and was sparsely attended. Bigger news is expected next week with the announcement of the transit tax plebiscite vote. A 'yes" vote would spark a major public transportation overhaul.

Added Forbes, "No matter how the vote turns out, we will keep TransLink focused on its core mandate of safe, reliable, and efficient service."

The following updates were also announced: 

• CFO Kathy McLay stated 2014 ended in a strong financial position due to $100 million in cost savings
• TransLink will open its quarterly board meetings to the public starting in the fall
• 230,000 customers will be using the Compass Card by the end of August