WATERLOO REGION - If you're lucky, you might chance upon a Grand River Transit bus with a shiny new electronic fare box in it.

The Region of Waterloo has installed four new electronic fare boxes as part of a pilot project to test the new system before a complete rollout later this year.

"We've been very quietly putting them into the field," said Gethyn Beniston, project manager for Grand River Transit's new electronic fare management system.

Right now, the electronic fare boxes work just like the old fare boxes.

You put coins into the machine or flash your bus pass to the driver. A separate temporary bin is available for paper tickets. The electronic fare boxes can also print paper transfers at the push of a button, Beniston explained.

"The advantage to all of us is that it counts more accurately," he said. The region will be able to better track cash fare payments and ridership counts.

A full rollout of the machines will depend on how the pilot project goes.

At the moment, Beniston said the machines are a little slow with accepting cash payments and printing the paper transfers.

"It's taking a little bit longer than we wanted," he said. Staff will continue to make necessary tweaks and work out any kinks that arise until the system is ready.

"Time is really important in transit. The most important thing is to keep buses running on schedule."

If everything goes according to plan, the region hopes to install new fare boxes in all Grand River Transit buses in April, May and June.

Beniston said the region is testing EasyGo electronic cards, too. Those won't be available to the public until the new fare system is fully implemented in all buses.

Even when the cards become available, there will be a six-month transition period to allow time for riders to switch over from using paper tickets to EasyGo cards.

Beniston said riders will be notified when the six-month period begins. He expects it will happen when the new fare box installation is well underway.

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When the system is in place, electronic cards and cash payments can be used for regular buses, MobilityPlus, BusPlus and light rail. Paper tickets will be phased out.

Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo students will see their current student cards upgraded to electronic fare cards in the fall.