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OC Transpo fares officially increased on July 1, but due to Canada Day’s free rides customers won’t notice the change until Thursday.

Transit fares went up 2.5 per cent, as announced back in February by Stephen Blais, the chair of Ottawa’s transit commission.

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Blais said it costs more money to operate public transit every year and noted that it is better to have small, annual increases than to artificially freeze fares for a year and hike them the next.

Public transit users will have to pay a dime more — $3.55 — for an adult fare, while a single trip using a Presto card will be $2.84, up from $2.77.

Regular adult monthly passes will rise by $2.50 to $103.25, while adult express passes will rise to $127.25, up from $124.25.