Travelling around the GTA is set to get a whole lot easier, as the province announced its commitment to set up fare integration across the region by the end of 2023. 

Ontario's associate minister of transportation, Stan Cho, revealed on Thursday that the fare and service amalgamation will be happening this year and will include Toronto. 

Although the full details of the integration are yet to be released, Cho did announce that the province is committed to "full funding" of the program. 

Cho made the announcement at a Toronto Region Board of Trade event, and claimed that the integration will provide riders with "more savings, seamless travel, and better connectivity." 

Huge news: At the @TorontoRBOT Transportation symposium, @StanChoMPP commits to full Provincial funding for transit fare integration across the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area. Game-changer for transit users. #onpoli pic.twitter.com/ZU27KoUEgx

— Alex Glista - Stand With 🇺🇦 (@AlexanderGlista) March 30, 2023

"It should be simple, it should be affordable," he said. "But I hear very often from transit riders, they are frustrated by their current experience." 

Currently, if you switch from a TTC vehicle to a GO train or bus, you're required to pay an extra fee, making travel for those connecting to Toronto an expensive ritual. 

However, at a Toronto Region Board of Trade event in February, TTC CEO Rick Leary did admit that fare integration is a "very expensive proposition." 

Back in March 2022, the Ford government announced that it would eliminate double fares for riders who use certain transit systems to connect to GO Transit in several municipalities.

However, those who transferred to and from GO Transit with the TTC still had to cash out the double fares. 

Despite its logistical challenges, it seems as though the promise of fare integration across the GTA is closer than ever, making it easier for residents across the region to connect to and from Toronto.