GO Transit riders have suspected for months it was coming but the signs go up Monday, confirming that monthly GO passes will be discontinued in the New Year.

The last loyal pass users will have to convert to the province’s Presto electronic fare card or be faced with buying a single ticket every day because the last paper passes issued will be for December.

GO discontinued its popular 10-ride and two-ride passes in August.

But transit officials were waiting until a majority of riders converted to the Presto cards before they stopped selling the monthly passes, which commuters have been using for more than 30 years.

There are about 350,000 Presto cards in circulation, although not all of them are used daily on GO buses and trains.

In September, GO sold about 23,000 of the monthly paper passes and those users still represent about 18 per cent of the system’s regular riders. The number has dropped about 45 per cent, however, this year.

GO officials maintain that most riders save money using Presto because the trips accumulate until a discount kicks in. GO has come up with a fare calculator to help passengers compare the cost of a single ride on Presto versus a monthly pass.

Unlike the monthly passes, which only need to be shown as proof of payment at the request of fare inspectors, Presto cards require riders to load money onto their card and then tap it on an electronic reader before boarding the train or bus.

Presto can be registered and replaced if stolen. Users can arrange to have more money loaded onto their card before their electronic purse is empty. It can be loaded online, on the phone or at GO stations. It also works on most Toronto region transit systems, although only 14 TTC stations are equipped with Presto readers.

There are no plans to stop selling single and return tickets.

Most TTC stations and vehicles are expected to be equipped for Presto by the Pan Am Games in 2015.

More than 226,000 people ride GO trains and buses on a typical weekday.

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