Starting Tuesday, the TTC will be capping paid monthly trips at 47, eliminating the need for monthly passes.
Adult, youth, senior, and fare pass customers who pay with a PRESTO card, a PRESTO card in a mobile wallet, an Interac Debit card, or a credit card, including cards in a mobile wallet, will automatically ride for free after 47 paid trips in a calendar month.
“Just tap as you go using the same card or device every time, and once you reach the monthly fare cap, the rest of your rides that month are free,” the TTC said in a news release.
Those who use an Adult 12-Month Pass or a TTC Post-Secondary Monthly Pass should continue using those as the TTC says they still provide “the best value.”
The TTC notes that if you switch between a physical card, smartphone, smartwatch or another payment method, trips are counted separately and won’t go toward your monthly cap.
“You must tap every time you board a vehicle or enter a station, even after you have reached the monthly fare cap,” the TTC noted.
“Tapping is still required to open fare gates, validate your trip, capture your Proof-of-Payment, and show that you are eligible to travel at no additional cost after reaching the cap.”
Riders were split on whether on not 47 trips is a reasonable number of rides to hit to benefit from the new system.
“I don’t know if 47 is that effective...If there is 20, 25 work days in a month that people are doing, that’s only 50 if you are taking one there, one back so I don’t think 47 going to do you a whole lot,” one rider told CP24.
He said while it may encourage more people to take transit, the number would like need to be lower to give people a proper incentive.
But a U of T student who spoke to CP24 on Tuesday said he could easily hit 47 trips in a month between work and school.
“Hitting that 47 mark is definitely achievable for me,” he said.
“As a student, spending is a little tight so it would be nice to save a little bit.”
