BC Transit has officially introduced tap-to-pay fare payment on all buses in regions equipped with Umo transit systems.
Beginning on Tuesday, May 19th, riders can now tap-to-pay using a debit card, credit card or mobile wallet in all 30 transit systems across the province that offer Umo, including the Victoria Regional Transit System.
The goal of implementing contactless payments is to remove payment barriers, making it easier for people to choose public transit for their commutes.
New payment methods include Interac, Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards, as well as cards linked to Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay mobile wallets.
Implementing tap-to-pay means riders will no longer need to load or manage a balance on an Umo account if they’d prefer to simply tap their card.
“Modern and accessible transit systems are essential to building connected communities,” said Will Greaves, Member of Parliament for Victoria.
“Our government is proud to work with partners to help remove barriers to public transit and make it easier for people to move around their communities.”
Those who choose tap-to-pay going forward will pay the same single-ride adult fare as a cash or Umo payment with no extra fees.
Additionally, BC Transit says that if the same card is used more than once in a day, the rider will not have to pay more than $6 per day due to automatic fare capping.
If a rider rides the bus more than twice in a day, they will still tap their card upon entering the bus, but will not be charged due to the automatic fare cap.
However, they noted that each rider in a group will need to tap their own card, as cards cannot be shared.
The total cost for implementing this project is estimated at $24.8 million, and it was jointly funded by the Canadian government, the Province and local government partners.
This announcement comes around three years after Umo and the eventuality of a tap-to-pay system was first announced.
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