Thunder Bay Transit getting on board with electronic fare payments

Thunder Bay Transit riders will have new ways to pay for their fares in the coming months.

The agency is moving toward electronic fare payments, and is installing new automated fareboxes on transit and Lift+ buses this week.

"As the implementation proceeds, we will be introducing an electronic tap card with an electronic tap system, which will provide riders with convenient, accessible payment options as well as enhancing the overall rider experience," said Laura Daniels, transit's supervisor of customer care and administrative services.

The introduction of the cards, however, is a few months off; in the meantime, transit riders can still use paper tickets and monthly passes.

Cash will continue to be accepted even after the new cards are introduced, the city said.

"In the coming weeks, we will be making an announcement looking for customers who would like to come forward and be part of the early test group, to receive a tap card ahead of the full launch date," Daniels said.

"We're currently still undergoing installation, as well as then we have testing that needs to be completed before we're ready to introduce it to the public."

More details will be released as the system gets closer to being fully implemented Daniels said.

Transit manager Brad Loroff said the changes are coming out of the city's transportation master plan.

"It's something that the public has had input in over the years," he said. "And it's been a part of our longer term strategy to get to where we are today."

Loroff said the reloadable cards are commonly used in other public transit systems.

"There's payment rules around the use of debit and credit," he said. "There are not a lot of transit systems that have complete open payment for debit and credit applications."

"These are features that we're continuing to look at," Loroff said. "This system has the ability to grow into that."