MCIBUS Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 When paying at a TTC outlet/subway station or other TTC outlet and your either paying cash,debit or credit card for a monthly pass does it automatcally register instantly that you've payed for that months or next months pass? Here in Ottawa if you go to OC or City outlet and pay for a monthly pass its only takes a few mins to register it on yopur account once you tap it on a reader? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squircle Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I have had this problems and told by Go yes it is. If it is a ride on the same line as your default (Milton Line) sometimes it will work without override. At stations on lines that is not on your default line it will not work at all. Always use the override. They where very good about it and mailed me a voucher for the difference right way. I took that to the Go Station and loaded it on my Presto. I've been told the opposite by Presto staff, but I'm not surprised there's a disconnect between the two branches of Metrolinx. FWIW, my default trip is Bronte <-> Union (LSW) and I have no problem using my card for LSE and Milton trips without using override. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oc4526 Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Say hello to the new Prestocard.ca. When paying at a TTC outlet/subway station or other TTC outlet and your either paying cash,debit or credit card for a monthly pass does it automatcally register instantly that you've payed for that months or next months pass? Here in Ottawa if you go to OC or City outlet and pay for a monthly pass its only takes a few mins to register it on yopur account once you tap it on a reader? Currently you can't load a Presto card at a TTC Stn or Outlet, Presto cards can be loaded at a Go Stn or Presto POS Machine (Go Concourse at Union Stn) I'm Not sure about Brampton Transit or other Gta area systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivablue5215 Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Currently you can't load a Presto card at a TTC Stn or Outlet, Presto cards can be loaded at a Go Stn or Presto POS Machine (Go Concourse at Union Stn) I'm Not sure about Brampton Transit or other Gta area systems. A quick search came up with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halloween Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 You're referring to paying by PayWave, or one of those technologies? Considering that they are talking about it being implimented in 2016 or later now, I don't know if they have hammered out all of the details for it. Dan Oh wow. So Ottawa which has PNG doesn't have open payment yet? And aren't the new streetcars having open payment? (I saw the paywave and paypass logos on the presto machines in news reports) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallspy Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Oh wow. So Ottawa which has PNG doesn't have open payment yet? And aren't the new streetcars having open payment? (I saw the paywave and paypass logos on the presto machines in news reports) The specs for handling open payments haven't even been written for Presto. One of the (many) requirements that Presto has to meet for the TTC was that it has to handle open payments - it was never originally intended to do so, at least not for the immediate future. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfitz Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I'd think something would have been written, given that a couple of Presto machines (College and Dundas?) were accepting open payments in a trial last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomW Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 The "Open Payments" thing is full of difficult problems, because of the existence of loyalty programmes. If I'm doing my 40th trip with GO on a GO bus, how does the system 'know' how much to charge me? It could track my card - but then it needs to (near) instantly updates every on-board terminal across the GTHA and Ottawa. It could bill me at the end of the month - but what if I don't have funds (or users don't want that)? Or does it charge the full fare and then refund the relevant amount that night when the data is processed? Also, users then have to use same card each time they travel by transit (... because if you coudl register multiple cards, you and your spouse could each resiter a card as belonging to the same person - getting you to the 'free' tier twice as fast, and effecteivly letting two people travel for the price of one). If you have to use the same card each time, then it's not that different from a Presto card in the first place.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lip Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Washington is now getting its own version of Presto which is being developped by Accenture (same company that developed Presto for GTA transit authorities). http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2014/01/15/washington_metro_subway_buys_presto_system.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallspy Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 I'd think something would have been written, given that a couple of Presto machines (College and Dundas?) were accepting open payments in a trial last year. For the first generation systems, yes. For PNG, the hardware is all capable, but the software hasn't been written for it yet. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dowlingm Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Spacing Toronto: Presto technology sold to Washington, D.C. raises questions http://spacing.ca/toronto/2014/01/15/presto-technology-sold-washington-d-c-raises-questions/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion VIII Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 I can confirm that the readers at Dundas and College were accepting open payments. I paid with my Paywave-equipped Visa a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 I can confirm that the readers at Dundas and College were accepting open payments. I paid with my Paywave-equipped Visa a few times. At the Collector's booth or at the actual PRESTO reader at the turnstile? If the latter and I tap my wallet with both in it, which one will get deducted the $2.70 fare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion VIII Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 The PRESTO reader. I was charged the cash fare of $3.00. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Cash fare for the convenience? PRESTO loyalty gets you the discount I guess! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfitz Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 At the Collector's booth or at the actual PRESTO reader at the turnstile? If the latter and I tap my wallet with both in it, which one will get deducted the $2.70 fare? Was the Presto reader at the turnstile. I'd think if your stick your wallet in front, you won't know what it finds. I stopped doing that when they started testing out technology. Though often I've got more than 1 Presto card in my wallet these days - with kids cards. And was it $2.70 (or $2.65) back then. I thought someone posted that the open payment amount was $3. The "Open Payments" thing is full of difficult problems, because of the existence of loyalty programmes. If I'm doing my 40th trip with GO on a GO bus, how does the system 'know' how much to charge me? It could track my card - but then it needs to (near) instantly updates every on-board terminal across the GTHA and Ottawa. It could bill me at the end of the month - but what if I don't have funds (or users don't want that)? Or does it charge the full fare and then refund the relevant amount that night when the data is processed? I'd think the answer would be, that if you use a credit/debit card, it would simply charge a basic amount, and loyalty programmes wouldn't be an option. Which seems fair, given the extra cost that Presto would incur if you are using a credit card for each transaction, with fees to the various banks, etc. I wouldn't even think you'd necessarily get the same fare. Credit/debit may be great for an occasional user or tourist, but I'd think that regular users would likely get incentives to have a Presto card. Or have some Presto app on their mobile device. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FutureHeartsJunkie Posted April 17, 2014 Report Share Posted April 17, 2014 Head's up, folks: Starting on June 15th, 2014 - you will no longer be able to reload your PRESTO Card on board the GO Transit buses. The main reason of that is - speeding up boarding and travel times. After that date, you will have to reload it either online through the PRESTO Card website at www.prestocard.ca, at an authorized PRESTO agency outlet or at a GO Train/Bus Station that offers PRESTO reloads. It would be nice if the PRESTO self-serve reload machines were offered - everywhere. Not just Union Station in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTAmissions1 Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 Head's up, folks: Starting on June 15th, 2014 - you will no longer be able to reload your PRESTO Card on board the GO Transit buses. The main reason of that is - speeding up boarding and travel times. After that date, you will have to reload it either online through the PRESTO Card website at www.prestocard.ca, at an authorized PRESTO agency outlet or at a GO Train/Bus Station that offers PRESTO reloads. It would be nice if the PRESTO self-serve reload machines were offered - everywhere. Not just Union Station in general. I asked Go Transit why there is a lack of "self-serve kiosk machines" and they told me the one at Union Station, the Presto that loads value doesn't really work and has serious glitches that instead, they will try to integrate Presto loads onto existing ticket vending machines. Unfournatley, I don't have an ETA on that. People are really frustrated with the lack of self-serve options outside of online and the 24 hour delay between the online transaction and when the information reaches the devices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfitz Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 Head's up, folks: Starting on June 15th, 2014 - you will no longer be able to reload your PRESTO Card on board the GO Transit buses. The main reason of that is - speeding up boarding and travel times. That seems odd. I wouldn't have thought that it would have made much difference if the autoload arrived on the bus, or elsewhere. Though the more I think about this. Do you mean people are trying to pay the driver $$$ and put it on their card? I'm surprised they ever allowed that ... (I seldom use the buses ... but that might explain why standing at the back of the line, it seemed that nothing was happening ...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cm99746 Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 If GO really wants to speed up boarding and travel times on the buses, they should look at eliminating on-board cash payment. I realize this would be a great inconvenience to some riders - especially occasional users - and may lead to decreased ridership and revenue, but it would speed things up more than the elimination of on-board Presto reloading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivablue5215 Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 If GO really wants to speed up boarding and travel times on the buses, they should look at eliminating on-board cash payment. They already do that in some locations. You can't pay on-board at Square One when the booth is open, and you can't pay on board at University of Waterloo on Fridays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.A Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 They already do that in some locations. You can't pay on-board at Square One when the booth is open, and you can't pay on board at University of Waterloo on Fridays. Only time you can pay on board at Square One is if you are running late. 99.5% of the time drivers allow it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Articulated Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 If GO really wants to speed up boarding and travel times on the buses, they should look at eliminating on-board cash payment. I realize this would be a great inconvenience to some riders - especially occasional users - and may lead to decreased ridership and revenue, but it would speed things up more than the elimination of on-board Presto reloading. They already do that in some locations. You can't pay on-board at Square One when the booth is open, and you can't pay on board at University of Waterloo on Fridays. Only time you can pay on board at Square One is if you are running late. 99.5% of the time drivers allow it Official policy is no paying on-board at any terminal or location with a nearby TVM - there are now signs indicating this at every stop. However, it's of course up to the driver's discretion whether to turn someone away who hasn't paid yet. Most drivers will allow someone to pay on board because a) it takes a while for passengers to run to the TVM, pay and get their ticket, and run back to the bus; or the bus will take off and strand the passenger there until the next bus arrives 30-60 minutes later, which is a very good reason for someone to complain ("I arrived at the station 10 minutes early and the meanie bus driver didn't let me on and I had to wait!!!") It's not possible to suspend all ticket sales on board GO buses - there are many stops outside of stations and not near TVMs that people board at, and it needs to be possible for these passengers to buy tickets. Occasional riders or tourists/visitors do not have Presto cards, and it is not feasible to expect every passenger must already have a Presto card before riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flalex72 Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 That seems odd. I wouldn't have thought that it would have made much difference if the autoload arrived on the bus, or elsewhere. Though the more I think about this. Do you mean people are trying to pay the driver $$$ and put it on their card? I'm surprised they ever allowed that ... (I seldom use the buses ... but that might explain why standing at the back of the line, it seemed that nothing was happening ...). Yes, Autoloads will continue to be processed on buses, that is not what this is about. Your second point is correct, right now drivers can take cash and load value onto PRESTO cards. There are a few issues, including that there cannot be a trip open on the card when value is loaded, and the driver ends up carrying a large amount of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2822 Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 Maybe Go should raise cash fares and cut presto fares to encourage more people to use presto or charge say an extra fifty cents for those who want to pay cash on board? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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