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Some bus riders will get a price break after TransLink announced Thursday that it would only charge single-zone fares on buses when it launches its Compass Card to all transit users in October.

The announcement shows that TransLink has given up hope of the tap-out system working on buses, and is looking to get the much-delayed $194-million system going without further waiting.

It means that, beginning Oct. 5, bus riders will pay single fares — $2.75 one-way for an adult — no matter how many zones they travel through.

The price break does not apply to other parts of the system, including SkyTrain and SeaBus, where adult passengers will still pay $4 or $5.50 for two- and three-zone fares respectively. The price break does, however, apply to HandyDart.

TransLink spokeswoman Anne Drennan acknowledged the decision is expected to prompt some two- and three-zone passengers to shift from train and SeaBus to buses, but insists it won’t be a significant hit because about 80 per cent of TransLink’s bus riders only travel one zone.

She couldn’t say how much TransLink would potentially lose in revenue, noting it depends on how many people decide to switch to the bus.

“(People) will look at cost over time,” Drennan said. “If you want to get there quickly, you’ll take the train. Some will switch if they’ve got the time but it remains to be seen how many will do that.”

Cathy McLay, TransLink’s chief financial officer, said the change will be revenue neutral, that offering the one-zone fare on buses will attract riders and “we think it will balance out.”

“The change means one-zone buses will be effective at all times, all day, every day,” McLay said.

The single zone fare is a “temporary change,” McLay said, and no decision has been made on how long it will remain in effect or if the one-zone fare might rise to offset the financial hit of losing two- and or three-zone fares for buses.

“Anything is possible,” McLay said.

Drennan and McLay said there were no plans to increase the bus fares. The last increase, in 2012, was so high that TransLink is still dealing with a decline in passengers.

TransLink said Compass vending machines will be activated in a phased manner at SkyTrain stations and SeaBus terminals, starting this month. Single-use tickets will be available from the vending machines to begin and by late October the machines will carry Compass cards. Drennan said faresaver tickets will phased out in early 2016.

The goal is turn on the SkyTrain/SeaBus fare gates in October.

Currently, only TransLink employees, students, West Coast Express and blind passengers are using Compass cards.

The transportation agency announced the single-fare measure as a way to deal with a nagging glitch with the “tap off” function on buses which has put the Compass Card program two years behind schedule. The tap-off function was intended to tell TransLink how many zones to charge a bus rider for any given trip.