Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

[EastYorkTTCFan]

As someone who works at Dundas and Jarvis, I can safely say they would be trashed, robbed or vandalized.

Also, who would maintain them? You would need over 5000 of them.

And showing the balance on the reader won't help anyone if they can't reloaded their card. All I see is it will create arguments with the bus driver because someone can't read it or doesn't have their glasses on which are at the bottom of the bag.

 

[Northern Light]

As someone who works at Dundas and Jarvis, I can safely say they would be trashed, robbed or vandalized.

Also, who would maintain them? You would need over 5000 of them.

There would be a sizable one-time cost; but you exaggerate the risks to the machines.

The TTC has had fare-purchase machine on Spadina LRT platforms for years; and Green P has its terminals all over the City.

I would also consider making most cash-less (pay be debit/credit only), which negates any robbery risk.

*****

That said, I don't think there's any money for that type of rollout in the near-term, and there are better uses of that money, for now. (in terms of system-wide rollout)

However, selective rollout to serve high volume stops/tourists might be a worthwhile endeavour.

 

[Richard White]

There would be a sizable one-time cost; but you exaggerate the risks to the machines.

Not really,. Just yesterday I saw an EDP throw a bottle at the side of the streetcar because the operator refused to let him on.

 

[Northern Light]

Not really,. Just yesterday I saw an EDP throw a bottle at the side of the streetcar because the operator refused to let him on.

I'm not clear on how that is relevant? I just gave an example of thousands of similar machines operating today on Toronto's streets, and generally, in service, and not being robbed.

Of course some machines will get bashed in; but I would not expect it to be any worse than what Green P experiences.

 

[cplchanb]

I don't get why we need this information at all. It would be much better if they put a fare reload machine at bus stops instead so that people can check their cards and top them up before they get on a bus or streetcar.

this is a global industry standard in all smart card readers and faregates. Every other presto system has it. YRT had it since the launch of presto. the big reason why ttc
doesnt have it is because they were to chicken scared of advocate lawyers suing them for privacy and unfairness. iirc there was a complaint from a visually impaired lawyer a number of years ago citing that a blind man cant see his balance so theres a chance someone looking over their shoulder may peep at the number. That scared ttc off.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I don't really know why people think it's necessary to do this. How many people actually look at the balance on the screen? All I can see is it making it take longer for people to board as you will now have the people who don't have their card ready until they get on board and then there will be the people who will have to read the screen. It defeats the entire purpose of the fare card in the first place.

Not everyone carries a iPhone on them. Doug Ford still uses his obsolete BlackBerry. Sometimes, the batteries on smartphones run low, battery run out completely, or got lost.

 

[cplchanb]

Not everyone carries a iPhone on them. Doug Ford still uses his obsolete BlackBerry. Sometimes, the batteries on smartphones run low, battery run out completely, or got lost.

not to mention most presto users dont even know theres an app, let alone how to link their card to it. TTC is notorious for reinventing the wheel instead of following global norms (this, rolling stock gauge, streecar turn radius etc)

 

[H4F33Z]

People are really good at complaining and finding bad excuses for something completely normalized and convenient in every other transit agency. I'm all for this and it'll definitely help with the child card fare evasion.

 

[DSC]

Not really,. Just yesterday I saw an EDP throw a bottle at the side of the streetcar because the operator refused to let him on.

and your point is...?

 

[nfitz]

I don't really know why people think it's necessary to do this. How many people actually look at the balance on the screen?

I normally glance at the balance when it's shown when I tap. I've got auto-refill so not a big deal - but I would imagine it would be VERY useful to those that need to top up manually.

I don't get why we need this information at all.

Those of us with more privilege probably don't need it much!

But what may be useful (depending on how they implement it, is the situation where you tap, and it shows the red X, and you don't know why. The couple of times I had it, I've found out later, that it took the payment after all. And it seems to instantaneously try a second time, and fail. And you just see the red X.

If there's a bit of explanation for the red X, that would be very useful!

 

[11th]

Key dates:

View attachment 351100
Screen as it will now appear:

View attachment 351101

I see a lot of wasted space. The headings can stay the same, but the numbers need to be bigger.

 

[allengeorge]

I don't get why we need this information at all. It would be much better if they put a fare reload machine at bus stops instead so that people can check their cards and top them up before they get on a bus or streetcar.

Do you complain about everything that's different than what Toronto does currently?

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Do you complain about everything that's different than what Toronto does currently?

No I just complain about things that make no sense and will only cause more problems than they solve. The Presto devices on the TTC are positioned badly for anyone to read and showing a balance will only cause people who already aren't prepared to take more time. It works on Go transit because you can add funds to your card on the bus where as the TTC you can't because they don't want to have the driver do anything other than drive the bus.

 

[cplchanb]

No I just complain about things that make no sense and will only cause more problems than they solve. The Presto devices on the TTC are positioned badly for anyone to read and showing a balance will only cause people who already aren't prepared to take more time. It works on Go transit because you can add funds to your card on the bus where as the TTC you can't because they don't want to have the driver do anything other than drive the bus.

everyone else in the world uses this concept including the neigbouring TAs. your eyes have simply not been opened yet to what actual world class transit is....

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

everyone else in the world uses this concept including the neigbouring TAs. your eyes have simply not been opened yet to what actual world class transit is....

How does showing what is on a fare card in small print on a device at waist height help anyone and why does that make a system world class? Everyone does it because they haven't been told otherwise that they need to have it accessible to the blind or visually impaired people. Everyone on here likes to talk about having more elevators for people in wheelchairs or using strollers or mobility devices but when it comes to providing people who can't see something properly it's ok for them to not have the same access as other people do.