The province of Ontario is pushing for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to adopt the Presto smart card system for public transportation, according to CBC News.
The Presto card is a reloadable contactless card that allows users to tap and go at ticket collection points.
If implemented, the system would allow riders to use one card to pay for all public modes of transportation, instead of having to buy tickets from different transit authorities.
Presto is currently being tested at various locations in the Greater Toronto Area, but Ontario is calling for a full scale roll out.
According to CBC, TTC chair Adam Giambrone has agreed to test out the system at select subway stations, but is apprehensive about going all-in on the Presto card, which he fears would block users from paying directly at the turnstile using credit or debit cards – an option he calls “open payment”.
The TTC has been pressing the province to incorporate some aspects of open payment into Presto, but so far nothing has been decided.
Another roadblock is the estimated $400 million it would take to implement the system, which has CBC predicting it will be another 5 years until TTC riders get contactless cards.
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