Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

[amnesiajune]

Probably works better than Line 2, where at some stations the driver is on the wrong side, and the guard is at the other end of the platform, and has little hope of trying to see what's at the other end - which was apparent the other day at Yonge, when I was still patiently waiting at the very first door for families to get out, when it started to beep, and the door began to close ... and jumped into the door, holding it back with all my strength, because I could see that one of the families still lining up to get out, had a child who was far enough away from the adult, that they were at risk of being separated from their parent.

And there was a line up of people behind me, still waiting patiently to get in! No wonder people charge the doors.

After I complained to TTC, their response was it won't be a problem once there are new trains, as they have cameras. What, in a decade? They don't give a damn ... I wish I'd accidently broken the @*&#(* door in retrospect ... why the things don't retract as soon as they are jammed I don't know ...

Aren't the train guards supposed to close off the front of their train car so they can see out the other side and avoid this sort of problem?

Also why is this in a thread about Presto?

 

[nfitz]

Aren't the train guards supposed to close off the front of their train car so they can see out the other side and avoid this sort of problem?

The train guards do, do this. But in this scenario, they are on the right side already. It's the driver at the other end on wrong side, and he doesn't usually wander out and look.

Also why is this in a thread about Presto?

Conversation drift. I'll bring it on subject by noting that at Union Station, they actually let me get a Presto Card for a 4-year old! (by basically telling the computer he was 6 ... the catch is, it reverts back to adult when he is 10, rather than 12 - but no harm, no foul - glad to see some common sense being applied!

(yes, it's useful, with the new TTC fare gates, he can't just walk under them like he used to take great joy in doing. And getting a bit big to lift all the time. And had a small incident in London where he went through with an adult, and he got through, but the gate swang closed trapping him on the other side of the gate than his parent! Fortunately TFL staff could always be found at ever fareline I saw - but I've seen many TTC entrances with no staff! And of course he's thrilled to be a big person now, with his own card!).

 

[amnesiajune]

I'll bring it on subject by noting that at Union Station, they actually let me get a Presto Card for a 4-year old! (by basically telling the computer he was 6 ... the catch is, it reverts back to adult when he is 10, rather than 12 - but no harm, no foul - glad to see some common sense being applied!

Why wouldn't they let a four-year-old get a Presto card?

 

[Megaton327]

Why wouldn't they let a four-year-old get a Presto card?

Technically I believe the Child category on Presto is for kids 6-12. On GO, for instance, kids under 6 ride free with an adult, and kids 6-12 pay the child fare, vs. on the TTC everyone 12 and under rides free. Silly policy for the TTC not to issue the card, though--what difference does it make? None on their system, and on other systems it'll only result in paying a higher fare, not a lesser one!

 

[TOareaFan]

TTC monthly passes now on presto

https://twitter.com/BenSpurr/status/867781393203556352

 

[Megaton327]

TTC monthly passes now on presto

https://twitter.com/BenSpurr/status/867781393203556352

That's surprising considering how many MAJOR subway entrances still don't take Presto...St George and the Melinda/PATH entrance to King station stand out as high-traffic ones with many metropass users.

Edit: I just checked the Presto site and it won't let me purchase passes for the TTC. I guess they sold out?

 

[PMT]

From the FAQ:

Why are there only a limited number of adult and senior TTC Monthly Passes available on PRESTO?

We are limiting the number of passes during this phase to a few thousand to provide us and Metrolinx with the opportunity to evaluate the customer experience. This will ensure we can provide the best possible product once we roll it out to a wider audience. We will keep customers informed when the number of TTC Monthly Passes on PRESTO will be increased throughout 2017 and 2018.

 

[APTA-2048]

I still much prefer GO's method of capping. It's annoying to buy a pass and realize you didn't take enough trips, for whatever reason, to make it worth it.

 

[TOareaFan]

I still much prefer GO's method of capping. It's annoying to buy a pass and realize you didn't take enough trips, for whatever reason, to make it worth it.

I prefer capping over passes too....but, just from conversations with people I know, I feel a bit out of step for feeling that way.....know several people that think passes is the way to go and who were very critical of ML/GO when presto changed them from their monthly pass habit to the capping system.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Question, I want to get my two high school aged kids Presto cards for use on the TTC for student fare. What's involved? How do I get student Presto cards on their behalf? Will their cards be useless when the TTC launches student-specific cards?

 

[Megaton327]

Question, I want to get my two high school aged kids Presto cards for use on the TTC for student fare. What's involved? How do I get student Presto cards on their behalf? Will their cards be useless when the TTC launches student-specific cards?

You can purchase cards on their behalf, but you can't set them to Student, they will just be basic adult cards. To change them to Student cards, your kids will first need to register their cards/create accounts (you can potentially do this for them, online); then they each personally have to go to a customer service outlet (Davisville, any GO station, the 10 new Shoppers Drug Mart outlets, etc.) with the appropriate ID, and have the card set to Student.

I'm not sure that the TTC is launching student-specific cards. I know they were throwing around the idea of having cards with photo ID, but at this point I think that would only be necessary for post-secondary students, since the student fare category has become much less rigid (just 13-19 years of age now). That's still pretty nebulous and not guaranteed to happen, and there's no way to know that every student would definitely have to buy a new card--that would cause public outrage, I'm sure.

 

[Admiral Beez]

You can purchase cards on their behalf, but you can't set them to Student, they will just be basic adult cards. To change them to Student cards, your kids will first need to register their cards/create accounts (you can potentially do this for them, online); then they each personally have to go to a customer service outlet (Davisville, any GO station, the 10 new Shoppers Drug Mart outlets, etc.) with the appropriate ID, and have the card set to Student.

What ID? My kids don't have student cards. That seems like a lot of steps. Physically buy two cards, go home and create their accounts online, and then go out again to set them to Student? Seems nutty. The student tickets can be bought by anyone and enforcement of use is the operator discretion, so why the rigamarole for the presto card?

I'm not sure that the TTC is launching student-specific cards. I know they were throwing around the idea of having cards with photo ID.

https://ttc.ca/Fares_and_passes/PRESTO/Using_PRESTO_on_the_TTC.jsp

More options to buy, load and set a student/senior concession fare on a PRESTO card will also become available..

https://ttc.ca/Fares_and_passes/PRESTO/FAQ.jsp

Photo identification will be required on PRESTO cards for children between the ages of 10 to 12 as well as youths between the ages of 13 to 15 and 16 to 19. These PRESTO photo cards are not available yet. More information about these will be shared when details are available.

What photo ID are they asking for? The days of the Student ID for high school kids passed years ago.

 

[rbt]

so why the rigamarole for the presto card?

TTC station staff do not have the tablets necessary to recode them. Your other option is to wait another 6 to 12 months until Presto (and the new fare gates) are fully deployed on TTC. Then you can go to a TTC station, buy presto from a kiosk, turn around and show the station agent the ID and they will change the setting.

The answer to 95% of the problems with Presto and TTC is that not all of the contracted contracted details are deployed yet. Tickets, Metropasses, and tokens remain available until such time that Presto is ready for use. Everyone using it today is an early adopter and bound to run into a few pain points.

 

[LNahid2000]

I prefer capping over passes too....but, just from conversations with people I know, I feel a bit out of step for feeling that way.....know several people that think passes is the way to go and who were very critical of ML/GO when presto changed them from their monthly pass habit to the capping system.

I don't understand why any transit customer would prefer passes over capping, unless they enjoy parting with their money. You don't have to pay for a full month of transit upfront and you'd never have to pay more than the pass price. Why would anyone prefer passes?

 

[Andy T]

What photo ID are they asking for? The days of the Student ID for high school kids passed years ago.

I went and programmed my card using my health card as ID but I believe a passport will do as well. I'm surprised your kids don't have student ID cards since every school in my area including mine needs one.