It is a familiar sight for many subway riders who use Presto: a series of fare gates all advising the cardholder to wait before proceeding.

But it turns out that commuters don’t have to wait at all.

According to TTC CEO Andy Byford, the “infuriating messages” are just the result of a software error.

Though the messages seem to suggest that the machines aren’t operational, Byford says that they are and that commuters can simply ignore the warning and swipe their cards to enter the system.

“It is software fault that our colleagues at Metrolinx are aware of,” Byford told CP24 during an interview on Tuesday. “They are about to apply a patch that will eliminate that infuriating message because you don’t have to wait.”

The message advising commuters to wait is sometimes displayed on the majority of fare gates at subway stations.

Asked about the issue on Tuesday, Byford joked that is the reason why he is bald.

He said that the “good news” is that the bug will soon be fixed and that other Presto irritants are being “ironed out.”

“It is some kind of weird software bug that got introduced in regression when we fixed something else,” he said. “The good news is it (Presto) is getting more reliable. All of the stations are equipped, all of the vehicles are equipped, we are nearly there.”

The TTC plans to outfit all subway stations with Presto fare gates this year as it continues the rollout of the payment technology. The TTC will also start selling metropasses and other products via Presto before the end of 2017.