Lower Mainland transit users will start paying about 10 per cent more to use SkyTrains, buses, SeaBuses, HandyDarts and trains as of Jan. 1, TransLink has announced.

An adult one-zone fare will rise by 25 cents to $2.75 and two-zone fares will rise to $4.00. Three-zone fares will rise 50 cents to $5.50.

The cost of monthly passes will go up as well. A one-zone pass will rise $10 to $91. A two-zone pass will rise $14 to $124, and a three-zone pass will rise $19 to $170.

DayPass, concession, HandyDart and West Coast Express fares are also increasing, but the price of a book of FareSaver tickets will not change.

The scheduled increase was approved by the Transportation Commissioner in April. TransLink applied for a 12.5 per cent increase over five years, but the comissioner capped the increase at 10 per cent.

TransLink says the 2013 fare increase is intended to cover inflation. (iStock)

The last across-the-board fare increase was in 2008, although monthly passes went up in 2010.

"In accordance with the Commissioner’s decision, the fare increase will be held to the allowable two per cent annually. Cash fares have not increased since 2008 and the increase will reflect the past five years of inflationary costs," said a statement issued by TransLink.

Fare zone	Fares now	Fares in 2013
1-zone cash fare	$2.50	$2.75
2-zone cash fare	$3.75	$4.00
3-zone cash fare	$5.00	$5.50
1-zone monthly fare	$81	$91
2-zone monthly fare	$110	$124
3-zone monthly fare	$151	$170