APTA-2048
Senior Member
As far as I knew, leading up to implementations anyway, DRT had planned on keeping their existing transfer policy.
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TheTigerMaster
Superstar
Do we know if Metrolinx is subsidizing their loss of fare revenues?
Admiral Beez
Superstar
Just discovered the Presto card is single person use. I had my card with zero balance with me today while going to the ROM with the family. Thought I'd put on $20 and use that for my wife and kid. Well, quickly found out that it's not possible. So, with $20 on card only one person can use, we bought more tokens and traveled the old fashioned way.
Catenary
Active Member
Interesting. Some other agencies will let you buy multiple fares with one PRESTO card. For example, on an OC Transpo bus the operator can charge a PRESTO card twice and issue a transfer to the second passenger, or sell a paper day pass using funds from a PRESTO card. Of course this can't be done at an unmanned O-Train station.
Similarly, you can't tap in twice at a Presto machine. That's a good feature so that you don't do it by accident. I don't know if that could be over ridden by a staff member at a booth.
APTA-2048
Senior Member
That I don't know. Maybe someone else does, though.
Jonny5
Senior Member
In theory GO lets you do these things too, however any time I have asked a GO bus driver to do anything with the card, whether load fares, or use it to pay twice, they give a big eye roll and pout. Once simply cancelling a a tap on was a horrific ordeal for one driver who barked it was my fault for tapping on and then changing my mind so I should have to pay.
DSC
Superstar
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If you had already put coins or a ticket into a fare box you would have been in the same situation and we don't expect drivers to carry change to assist the indecisive. I am surprised drivers even have the ability (to say nothing of the will) to cancel Presto tap-ons.
LNahid2000
Senior Member
Jonny5
Senior Member
Why would you be surprised about that? They have a fancy touch screen tablet interface with many functions. The cancellation process took him about seven seconds. There are many situations where a cancellation is necessary beyond being indecisive, but even if it is, that's not a valid reason on a system where bus trips can be $15+. What if someone gets on the wrong bus and realises it one second after they tapped on?
"Sorry. You're being charged for a bus trip to Barrie now. Nothing can be done."
That's nonsense.
Oh and GO drivers do carry change and don't have a farebox.
Komiksulo
Active Member
Oftentimes I take GO route 88 from Peterborough before the Peterborough terminal ticket booth opens. At this time, people must pay the driver. I have discovered that it's faster to simply hand the driver a $20 and ask that it be put on my Presto card, than ask for a ticket to wherever and the driver has to make change, wait for the ticket to print, etc. The driver likes it more too. And there are often 10 or 20 people paying as they board.
They are renovating the Peterborough bus terminal. I really hope they get a GO ticket machine/Presto reload machine.
They are renovating the Peterborough bus terminal. I really hope they get a GO ticket machine/Presto reload machine.
LNahid2000
Senior Member
Wouldn't you want to use Presto either way due to the ~10% discount?
smuncky
Senior Member
Have to say, I've really been enjoying the 2 hour transfer lately.
I've had the whole week off of work and been running around town to do errands and see people. It's given me the ability to do much more and spend a bit more money locally where I wouldn't have before.
I really hope they do an analysis of the 2 hour transfer and realize that it's not just a convenience but it also puts money back in local businesses.
I've had the whole week off of work and been running around town to do errands and see people. It's given me the ability to do much more and spend a bit more money locally where I wouldn't have before.
I really hope they do an analysis of the 2 hour transfer and realize that it's not just a convenience but it also puts money back in local businesses.
crs1026
Superstar
I don't know anything about how Presto is programmed, but I have considerable painful experience with custom programs for the payroll module of a certain well-known brand-name enterprise software system, trying to automate calculations of some arcane pay rules arising from collective agreements. The price for automating said rules was frequently astronomical. It's amazing how the human brain can handle these things easily, whereas laying the decision rules out in a linear, programmable fashion has a million "if" conditions and exceptions that have to be programmed and then validated. With these big systems, the more custom programming you create, the higher the cost both to create the function and then to maintain it as the base software is upgraded. Plain vanilla is almost always cheapest in the long run.
I have a suspicion that the TTC transfer table is pretty arcane in places. I sure hope they take a good long look at whether the 2-hour rule might be simpler and cheaper for the long run.
- Paul
Napoleon
Active Member
Companies spend big bucks paying Accenture consultants to implement exactly these sorts of things. As of right now with Presto only implemented on streetcars and the subway, it's probably not too hard to write down a list of transfers. Once buses end up in the mix, the list gets insane. I think part of the problem is that lots of trips require more than one transfer...I imagine that's when the logic gets insane.