VANCOUVER -- TransLink says it has no idea when it will issue Compass cards to the public, saying it wants to ensure it rolls out a “quality” system and is still wrestling with glitches on its website and card-readers on buses.

The transportation authority has been beset by delays and cost overruns to the Compass card program, which is already a year behind schedule. TransLink is now seeking Metro Vancouver’s approval for another $5.5 million from the federal Gas Tax Fund “for the installation of Compass card readers on buses,” according to a report submitted to the Metro Vancouver board.

“The complexities of upgrading the buses to enable fare card reader communication with a central computing system have contributed to the increase in budget to fully implement the Compass card readers on the buses,” the report said.

Mike Madill, TransLink’s vice-president of enterprise initiatives, insists the $5.5 million will not increase the cost of the program, which has already jumped from $171.3 million to $194 million, but will reduce TransLink’s share of the overall costs. He noted the transportation authority is focused on providing a “quality” service and will continue to roll out the smart card project in phases to ensure it gets it right.

One of the problems plaguing TransLink has been getting a faster transaction speed on the buses. The smart card is expected to tap in at half a second but is often much slower.

“We’re not going to launch until we’re sure it’s ready for our customers,” Madill said. “We know that our customers are anxious to use the card but we want to make sure of the quality of the system.”

The electronic fare cards will allow riders to load monthly passes, single fares or a prepaid balance that will be detected as they pass through the fare gates that are being installed across the SkyTrain system.

Only 85,000 cards have been issued so far, mainly to TransLink employees and those in the BC Bus Pass Program, which serves the disabled and low-income seniors.

Plans to roll out the card to West Coast Express passengers — the next group slated to receive them — have been postponed since last November. Madill said a “readiness review” is expected within the next month to determine when the cards will go out to West Coast Express passengers, but the hope is it will happen this summer. After that, the project will be rolled out to a few U-Pass students, in a test case, before the cards are issued to all students and, eventually, to the public in stages.

Madill isn’t sure when that will happen, but said passengers will be given fair warning before the system starts. FareSaver tickets will continue to be sold, and will likely overlap, with the cards in the beginning, he said. About 800,000 cards are expected to be issued.

“We have no set timelines,” Madill said. “Some phases could go quicker than others. It’s hard to predict because it’s so complex. We want to make sure we take it slow and steady.