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The Presto fare card system was designed to modernize the outdated operations of the Toronto Transit Commission and other transit agencies in Ontario, but the transition has not been without problems.

While some customers report using Presto is far more convenient than the old-fashioned tokens and tickets, others say they’ve encountered serious glitches that have undermined their faith in the system.

Metrolinx, the provincial agency that oversees Presto, says some growing pains are to be expected, particularly as the technology is being used in 11 transit agencies across the province.

“We know Presto is working for our customers. Each business day there are nearly 2 million boardings across the GTHA and Ottawa,” Annalise Czerny, Metrolinx’s executive vice-president for Presto, said in a statement.

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“As with any technical system, there are always ways it can be improved ... For many of these concerns, we’re already actively working on solutions. For the others, we‘re committed to listening to feedback from our customers and working with them to reach solutions.”

The TTC, which is partnering with Metrolinx to implement the fare card in Toronto, plans to stop selling tickets and tokens on Aug. 3, and to stop accepting those forms of payment by Dec. 31.

Ahead of those milestones, the Star put readers’ pressing Presto questions to the TTC and Metrolinx:

Why does the Presto card cost $6?

According to Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins, the charge helps cover administrative costs and reduce operating expenses for the agency.

“Charging $6 for a card is a common practice for transit agencies,” she said.

Why do some Presto card have an expiry date?

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Some earlier versions of the cards have expiry dates on them, but users have reported they’re still functional past that date.

According to Aikins, Metrolinx had initially planned for users to exchange their cards for new ones by a certain point, in case the technology required updates. They later abandoned the idea.

Cards with expiry dates should continue to work past the listed date.

How was Shoppers Drug Mart chosen to be the private distributor of Presto cards?

Aikins said that Shoppers “was selected through a fair, open, and transparent process” that included posting the opportunity to the government’s procurement website to allow interested parties to bid on the agreement.

She said Shoppers was ultimately selected because “it is a regionwide retailer that offers consistent, reliable services evenly across the GTHA.”

Aikins wouldn’t disclose the terms of the deal, citing agency policy, but said the agreement enables Metrolinx to avoid operating costs it would have incurred from directly selling Presto cards itself.

Despite having about 400 locations that now sell the fare cards, some transit users report that it’s not always convenient to get to a Shoppers Drug Mart if they want to buy a card.

If riders still have tokens or tickets after the TTC completes the switch to Presto, will they be able to exchange them?

While no final decisions have been made, TTC spokesperson Heather Brown said the agency is considering implementing some kind of exchange program once it stops accepting tickets and tokens that would allow riders to turn in their older fare media in return for credit.

The TTC plans to stop selling tickets and tokens on Aug. 3, and stop accepting them after Dec. 31, to give riders plenty of time to use up the older fare media, she said.

But Brown said the agency has heard stories of people who have acquired stockpiles of hundreds of tokens either themselves, or discovered them in a relative’s home after they die.

“There may be extenuating circumstances where people just have a lot of tokens or tickets that they’re not able to use,” Brown said.

“Obviously our first message would be use what you have.”

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She said the agency plans to make a decision on a potential exchange program in the coming months.

Why don’t the TTC’s Presto readers show users’ card balances, but those on other transit systems do?

Brown says the TTC opted not to have Presto readers show passengers’ balance out of privacy concerns. Each transit agency made its own choice on the issue, and some decided displaying card balances didn’t pose a problem.

The TTC also worried customers pausing to check their balances would slow entry into the system and create crowding problems.

Brown noted customers can check their card balance at machines at every subway station. She said the TTC may reconsider its policy, but would have to be satisfied there are no privacy issues and displaying balances wouldn’t discriminate against transit users who can’t see.

Do Presto users always have to tap their card, even if they are transferring to a bus or streetcar inside a subway station? What about if they have a prepaid monthly pass on Presto?

While a fare is only deducted from the first tap of a TTC trip using a regular Presto card, Brown said customers should tap every time they board a vehicle or enter a station.

“It is a good habit to get into it. Tapping deducts your fare, verifies your monthly pass and validates your two-hour transfer. It also provides us with useful service planning data,” she said.

Brown added that tapping consistently speeds up the process if a customer who has a monthly pass on Presto is asked by a fare inspector to provide proof-of-payment. “They can immediately see the card has been tapped and the pass has been verified.”

Does the TTC plan to introduce caps that would limit the amount Presto users would be charged in a single day, week or month?

Following the lead of other transit agencies, the TTC intends to introduce a cap in the spring that would only charge customers for the first 16 trips they take in a week. Subsequent trips would be free.

But the agency has no plans to introduce daily or monthly maximums. Brown said that with the TTC’s new two-hour transfer rule, customers would have to travel close to eight hours before they would benefit from a daily cap.

She said a monthly cap was ruled out because the Presto system “is only able to support one loyalty program on a card,” and the TTC decided to use it for a weekly cap. That’s because the agency already has a monthly discount product in the form of the monthly pass (formerly called the Metropass).

When will the TTC introduce single-use Presto tickets?

The TTC plans to start selling single-use tickets, which will allow customers to take one trip without buying a $6 Presto card, by June at the latest.

The tickets would cost the same as a cash fare, which currently sits at $3.25. Metrolinx has been testing the tickets since November, and says they might even be ready sooner than planned.

Are customers always required to load $10 onto their Presto card when they first purchase it, even if they’re buying a monthly pass?

When purchasing a Presto card, customers generally have the option of either adding the minimum amount of $10 or loading a monthly pass.

However, a customer buying a discounted 12-month TTC pass can only load that product online to a card that is already registered and active. According to Metrolinx, that means the person has to first load $10 onto the card, and then go online and pay for the 12-month pass, which costs $134 per month.

People setting senior or youth concessions for cards bought at vending machines also have to load the minimum amount before they can purchase a pass.

Customers who buy passes no longer need the initial $10 they put on the card to ride on the TTC, and some users say having to load that amount before buying a pass amounts to a cash grab.

Brown said customers can use the $10 to ride other transit services like the Union Pearson Express.

Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr

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