Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

[diminutive]

well yes they will. (or every regular user of transit will) You can't honestly expect a minimum wage employee to buy a smart phone just so they can get their $0.35 discount on tickets.

If you're just looking at 'regular users of transit' (i.e. commuters and students), smartphone adoption rates are already well over the 56% level they are for the general population since you're mostly excluding the retired, who have adoption rates in the ~10% range.

Smartphones are ubiquitous and will only get more ubiquitous. You can go to Wind and get a Huawei phone running Android for next to nothing.

I wouldn't expect everyone to have the latest-greatest iPhone or top of the line Android, but between older and cheaper iOS n Android devices there aren't really any reason why most people wont have smartphones.

 

[epcjay]

Has anyone tried using the new PRESTO reader at College Station?

Apparently it charges $3.00 instead of the usual $2.60...
Also does anyone know the progress with PRESTO integration with the TTC? I haven't heard of anything new being added since the master agreement announcement.

I've been to college countless times and didnt see this.

Noticed the article is from 2012 ...hmm...

 

[kEiThZ]

If you're just looking at 'regular users of transit' (i.e. commuters and students), smartphone adoption rates are already well over the 56% level they are for the general population since you're mostly excluding the retired, who have adoption rates in the ~10% range.

Smartphones are ubiquitous and will only get more ubiquitous. You can go to Wind and get a Huawei phone running Android for next to nothing.

I wouldn't expect everyone to have the latest-greatest iPhone or top of the line Android, but between older and cheaper iOS n Android devices there aren't really any reason why most people wont have smartphones.

Honestly, I wish Metrolinx would have partnered with somebody for an e-wallet, like say Google as their Canadian Google Wallet launch partner. Google Wallet seems perfect for this kind of application.

 

[Forgotten]

If you're just looking at 'regular users of transit' (i.e. commuters and students), smartphone adoption rates are already well over the 56% level they are for the general population since you're mostly excluding the retired, who have adoption rates in the ~10% range.

Smartphones are ubiquitous and will only get more ubiquitous. You can go to Wind and get a Huawei phone running Android for next to nothing.

I wouldn't expect everyone to have the latest-greatest iPhone or top of the line Android, but between older and cheaper iOS n Android devices there aren't really any reason why most people wont have smartphones.

Optional yes. Mandatory no. I'll go with no.

 

[nfitz]

Optional yes. Mandatory no. I'll go with no.

Does it matter if they have smartphones or not? It will take credit and debit cards. Surely most people have either a credit or debit card ... can you even have a bank account without a debit card these days?

 

[innsertnamehere]

also imortant to remember that smartphone capable transactions is a very recent tech feature, and PRESTO began roll out years ago.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I've been to college countless times and didnt see this.

Noticed the article is from 2012 ...hmm...

your right, I haven't seen them there. They are the kind they use on Ottawa buses however. (or at least the kind with the screen showing a checkmark to confirm a successful tap, I don't know about the debit/credit feature)

 

[chriskayTO]

Does it matter if they have smartphones or not? It will take credit and debit cards. Surely most people have either a credit or debit card ... can you even have a bank account without a debit card these days?

A number of people in precarious financial situations do not have bank accounts. This is why there are so many cheque-cashing and payday loan shops in operation.

 

[innsertnamehere]

yet they have Smartphones?

 

[chriskayTO]

yet they have Smartphones?

Nope, or maybe. What I'm saying is that there are lots of people out there who have neither a smartphone nor a debit card, so that will need to be addressed. These folks are probably also the ones who would rely on public transportation the most, so it's critical that there be a way for them to access the system if they only have cash.

In other jurisdictions this is accomplished by paying your fare at a machine which gives you a single-use smart card which you deposit when you exit the system.

 

[epcjay]

Nope, or maybe. What I'm saying is that there are lots of people out there who have neither a smartphone nor a debit card, so that will need to be addressed. These folks are probably also the ones who would rely on public transportation the most, so it's critical that there be a way for them to access the system if they only have cash.

In other jurisdictions this is accomplished by paying your fare at a machine which gives you a single-use smart card which you deposit when you exit the system.

This argument is flawed. Any local would know that paying cash fare is not worth it as you get more bang for you buck with a 10 ride. Then we have tourists that most likely travel with a credit card. Ive never heard of anyone traveling with cash only.

 

[chriskayTO]

Ive never heard of anyone traveling with cash only.

Then I'm glad you're not in charge of rolling out Presto! There are definitely people out there who pay only by cash, and just because you haven't heard of them doesn't mean they don't exist.

 

[Jonny5]

This argument is flawed. Any local would know that paying cash fare is not worth it as you get more bang for you buck with a 10 ride. Then we have tourists that most likely travel with a credit card. Ive never heard of anyone traveling with cash only.

There are tens of thousands of working poor people in Toronto who don't have bank accounts. Have you ever noticed the proliferation of Money Marts and Cash Money stores all over the place in the past decade? That's where they cash their pay cheques. Someone explained it to me that banking can often be more expensive than using a cheque cashing store. If you have no margin for error in your budget and then go overdraft by accident, you could get hit with a $50 fee, which could set off a chain of other NSF charges for other debits you make that cost way more than any cheque cashing fee. They prefer to use only cash in hand to make sure this doesn't happen.

 

[rbt]

Ive never heard of anyone traveling with cash only.

chriskayTO is correct. What level of household income do the people you know have?

One of the challenges for working families (annual household income below $10,000/year) is that accumulating $100 for a metropass, or even just $20 for tokens, can be challenging.

One major side-effect of having substantial stress over money, is that logical decision making rapidly fails.

It's akin to being so thirsty that you gladly drink water known to be toxic. At some point dealing with the next few minutes becomes more important than making tomorrow or next week easier.

 

[nfitz]

... so it's critical that there be a way for them to access the system if they only have cash.

In other jurisdictions this is accomplished by paying your fare at a machine which gives you a single-use smart card which you deposit when you exit the system.

I've heard no suggestions that they wouldn't continue to take cash. The new vending machines they are getting ready for the new streetcars are designed to take cash, in addition to Presto.

Any local would know that paying cash fare is not worth it as you get more bang for you buck with a 10 ride.

I'm not sure what a "10-ride" is anymore. GO doesn't do them, and TTC sells tokens at the $2.65 rate, in quantities as low as 3.

But surely lots of people use cash. You hear change being put in the farebox frequently when riding - it's a very different sound than a single token.

And it's not surprising, given the cash fare is only $3 compared to $2.65 for those tiny tokens that everyone loses. You don't have to lose many of those, to make the cash cheaper ... and it's certainly more convenient. I certainly use tokens and tickets ... but I can understand why many don't bother.

It will be interesting to see how many end up using debit and credit cards, and are willing to pay the $3 fare compared to the $2.65 fare with Presto.