ETS announces new “Smart Fare” system

Numbered are the days of fumbling around for bus fare or overpaying for a monthly bus pass that you don’t get the full value from.

ETS officials announced that “Smart Fare” will be the new currency used to ride public transportation in Edmonton, St. Albert and Strathcona County, as early as 2020.

The new technology will allow riders to pay for individual rides with a debit or credit card, and even use their cell phone payment systems like Apple or Android Pay.

Value passes and monthly passes will change as well. Instead of paying full price up front, transit users will be able to select a limit and pay in increments with each ride until that limit is reached. Every trip after the limit is then free.

Courtesy: City of Edmonton

According to ETS officials, this helps lower-income riders financially because they’re not required to come up with a lump sum at the beginning of the month.

Students using the U-pass will no longer be required to show their sticker, according to the ETS Director of Special Projects Ken Koropeski.

“We’re hoping that with the fare program, applications that are part of the smart fare system [such as the U-pass program], that we can actually streamline the registration of the program. There will no longer be stickers required,” Koropeski said.

Officials say the system is safer if one loses a transit pass as well because they will have an account to which the funds are linked, rather than relying only on a physical card.

In addition to payment methods, smart fare technology will allow riders to track their bus with a new GPS system.

Smart Fare is expected to be fully up and running in 2020.

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