High gas prices are getting more people out of their cars and onto public transit, says the company that operates the transit system in the Lower Mainland. (CBC)

The soaring price of gas is causing overcrowding on the Lower Mainland's transit system, according to the company that oversees public transit in the area.

The price of gas hit $1.43 in Vancouver on Monday, and that rise in price is leading more people to leave their cars behind in favour of public transit, said Ken Hardie, a spokesperson for TransLink, the company that operates public transit on B.C.'s southern coast.

The popularity of public transit is increasing so much that TransLink's monthly transit passes sell out every month, Hardie said, and now, TransLink is looking at printing and selling more monthly passes as the price of gas continues to soar.

But first, Hardie said, TransLink needs to determine if the system can handle the increased demand.

TransLink is adding more buses and SkyTrain cars to try to address the increased demand on public transit. (Mike Laanela/CBC)

"When we get to September, which is traditionally the back to school [and] back to work crunch time, we have to be somewhat concerned about our ability to deliver services if we've sold tickets to people," Hardie said.

Every time TransLink adds new buses and SkyTrain cars, Hardie said, they fill up with passengers.

"Every time we've put out any new capacity in the system over the last nine years it has been gobbled up almost as quickly as it hits the road," he said. "We know there is a lot of latent demand out there. The problem is, of course, coming up with enough money to put the public transit capacity out there."

As part of its Transportation and Financial Plan, TransLink is adding 94 buses to its fleet this year and putting 34 new SkyTrain cars into service in 2009.