It turns out the transit riders of the Lower Mainland are pretty trustworthy after all.

At least when it comes to paying their way.

On Wednesday, an audit released by the independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed the number of people who scam the transit system region-wide is 2.5 per cent – or 10 times less than what the public thought was the real cheat rate.

In other words, more than 97 per cent of riders pay their fare share.

There is discrepancy among the modes of transportation when it comes to freeloaders.

SkyTrain has the highest percentage of fare evaders, at 5.4 per cent. The West Coast Express has the lowest, at 1.1 per cent. Other transit lines fall somewhere in between, with SeaBus logging 4.2 per cent of cheaters and buses reporting 1.6 per cent.

The bottom line? The audit concludes that TransLink is losing out on approximately $6.4 million in revenues each year through unpaid fares.

The fix? Transportation minister and Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Kevin Falcon wants a smart card/turnstile system installed for the transit system at an estimated cost of more than $100 million.

Falcon scoffs at the fare evader audit, saying the numbers are ridiculously low.

Fair comment... after all, transit swindlers aren’t likely to sidle up to official-looking poll-takers with clipboards offering admissions of guilt.

However, the real issue is: Do we have $100 million-plus to sink into a transit retrofit (including the now under-construction Canada Line) that should have been planned in the beginning?

And that jaw-dropping amount could be a lowball estimate. The average cost of smart card transit access systems elsewhere in the world is $225 million, and Melbourne, Australia recently opened a new system that cost $425 million.

Surrey and other South of the Fraser cities have expressed serious concern over how TransLink plans to fund its long-range transportation goals.

Mayor Dianne Watts has served notice that she has no appetite for foisting more taxes upon residents already digging deep to cover the new carbon tax, rising property taxes and added fuel surcharges – never mind the staggering increase for consumers at the pumps.

The gas hike, in fact, has boosted transit use to all-time highs in recent months. Yet South of the Fraser, only 21 per cent of the 750,000-strong population can walk from home to a frequent transit line.

But what about safety, the other argument for installing costly turnstiles?

Assaults, robberies, mischief and murders frequently occur near transit stations – particularly SkyTrain – but can we make the correlation that it’s the non-paying customers who are the perps? That a gated station will prevent thugs from attacking riders down the street?

Of course not.

The truth is, a small percentage of passengers getting a free ride is not top of mind for most transit users.

Service is.

The Liberals’ transit plan announced in January pledged $14 billion ($4.75 billion from Victoria) to fund improved transit.

But again – show us the money.

Frankly, $100 million would be better earmarked for more transit cops and an updated digital video surveillance system that doesn’t tape over evidence of crimes after a couple of hours.

More police presence would be a deterrent to goons and increase the number of tickets handed out to cheats. Then take some of the $100 million and set up a mandatory pay system through ICBC or other government agency so more lost revenues are recovered, rather than the paltry eight per cent of tickets that are paid now.

At an estimated fare recovery rate of just $2.9 million a year if barriers are installed, it would take 34 years to break even on $100-million turnstiles that don’t even address the public’s key concern.

Or here’s an idea. How about buying a whack of buses?

pcarlson@surreyleader.com