Presto fare system goes live on many TTC streetcars
The TTC is gradually turning on the electronic fare card readers on 11 streetcar routes.

thestar.com
Dec. 15, 2015
By Tess Kalinowski

Presto’s not supposed to be live on TTC streetcars until at least Thursday - maybe not until the end of the year. That’s the official line anyway.

But the electronic readers that let riders tap their Presto card to pay their fares, are already working on many streetcars on King, Queen, St. Clair and other routes, the TTC and Metrolinx confirmed on Tuesday.

It’s a soft launch and a formal announcement will be coming later this week, said the TTC’s Brad Ross.

“We gradually are turning them on. It’s better than flipping a switch when it comes to troubleshooting,” said Metrolinx spokeswoman Anne Marie Aikins.

Presto readers have been installed on streetcars across all 11 TTC routes but they’ve been wearing “coming soon” signs. Now if you see an arrow and the instruction to “tap here” you can use them, said Aikins.

Riders can also look for a decal at the front of the streetcar.

Meantime, transit officials are warning riders that fare inspectors are already equipped with hand-held devices that detect whether your Presto fare has been paid. If you’re taking a bus as part of your trip you should also take a transfer from the streetcar driver because TTC buses won’t be Presto ready for another year.

New low-floor Bombardier streetcars on the Spadina and Harbourfront routes have been Presto equipped for some time. Old streetcars will all get between one and three readers.

Only about 2 per cent of TTC riders are already using Presto and it may not be the right time for everyone to get a card because they won’t be on buses until next year, said Ross.

But if you’re using downtown streetcars and subways it’s worth considering. By the end of next year all regular TTC riders will be using Presto because tokens and tickets will be eliminated and pass products will be converted to an electronic loyalty program.

A report before the TTC board Wednesday recommends senior and student discounts on cash fares be eliminated in order to encourage more riders to get a Presto card.

Meantime, the Presto cards don’t offer the two-hour time-based transfer on the St. Clair car, warned Ross. If you’re hopping on and off that route you can tap on with your Presto but get a paper transfer from the driver as proof of payment when you board again.

Metrolinx, which is in charge of Presto, is testing the sale of $20, pre-loaded cards at some Gateway newsstands in TTC stations. That price includes the $6 for the card. Pass vending machines are also available at Union and Queen’s Park subway stations. But TTC station collectors don’t sell them. You can order them online or buy them at GO stations.