Thunder Bay Transit officially launches new electronic fare cards

Thunder Bay Transit passengers can now pay for their fares with a simple tap.

The agency officially launched its Lift Pass electronic fare cards on Monday following a soft launch about a month ago.

The cards are reloadable, and allow passengers to pay for rides by tapping the cards on the new electonic fare boxes found on city transit and Lift+ buses.

"Customers can now get the reloadable card from city hall, in addition to the transit office" at 570 Fort William Rd., said Laura Daniels, supervisor of customer service care and administrative services with Thunder Bay Transit. "Coming on April 15, they will also be able to purchase adult cards ... from select retailers and they'll be able to reload existing cards at those those select retailers."

A list of retailers will be made available closer to April 15, Daniels said.

In the meantime, cards can be reloaded online, at city hall, and the transit office, the city said.

Daniels said passengers are encouraged to get their Lift Pass cards as early as possible: the cards are currently free, but will cost $5 after April 30.

The transit office will be open extended hours during April to make getting the cards as convenient as possible: it will stay open until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, excluding Easter Weekend, the city said.

The cards themselves, meanwhile, will be available at city hall during regular operating hours until April 15; passengers will only be able to reload their cards at city hall after that.

Daniels said the soft launch, which saw a limited number of riders given the cards, was successful.

"We've had online payments coming in, so we can tell that people are choosing to reload it online," she said. "And we've seen there are people who are going with the auto-reload option as well."

Cash will still be accepted on Thunder Bay Transit buses. Paper passes will continue to be accepted until July 31, after which they can be exchanged at the transit office for rides on a Lift Pass card.

For more information, or to reload a card, visit the city's Lift Pass website.