It's about to get cheaper to ride public transit around the Greater Toronto Area
If you're one of the millions who commute around the GTHA each day via the TTC and other regional public transit systems, you could soon be saving up to $1,600 per year as the provincial government eliminates some double fares — something it promised to do more than a year and a half ago.
Premier Doug Ford and Associate Minister of Transportation Vijay Thanigasalam made yet another announcement on Monday about how their team is working towards fare integration across the region, which they now hope to implement by "early 2024."
You posted this already on Oct 21 on your own Twitter feed. Same people. Same outfits. This was not today.
— Mike Cousineau (@MikeCousineau5) October 30, 2023
While the tech to allow riders to pay a single fare for a trip using multiple transit systems is still being tested as of this week, many will remember that Ford already mentioned the efforts to eliminate double fares on X (formerly Twitter) a week and a half ago, after it had already been in the news cycle in September.
The first iteration of the fare initiative was actually first laid out in March 2022, a date mentioned again in an unrelated press release from Tuesday regarding gas and fuel cuts.
However, the province's timelines have apparently been pushed back significantly, as the plan as of March of this year was to take care of the double fare issue by the end of December.
We’re making it more convenient and more affordable to use public transit.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 21, 2023
The Metrolinx PRESTO Test Lab is currently testing technology that will eliminate double fares. That means riders will pay one fare to take transit across the GTA which equals more money in your pocket. pic.twitter.com/4r0D4xJ9BZ
Passengers can now expect PRESTO machines to charge a standard fare for travel across local networks for riders transferring from GO or TTC lines by February 2024.
