A new fare structure and technological upgrades are coming to Prince George buses.
Along with slight increases, the new fare system for the Prince George Transit System will replace transfers with a DayPass, and expand the Family Travel Program to allow four children under 12 to travel with a paying adult, instead of the current two.
City council approved a new transit fare structure at its regular meeting on March 25. The recommendation came from a B.C. Transit Fare review which was conducted in Dec 2018.
Prince George City Council approved Option one. (via B.C. Transit)Council approved the first of two fare change options, stating option one proposed modest increases to monthly and semester pass fares rather than the more drastic option two.
“Ultimately we are looking to promote the purchases and use of transit fare products that provide unlimited travel in a defined time period. Whether it would be a DayPass that would allow you to travel anytime during the day or a monthly pass.”
He also noted B.C. Transit is currently undergoing a modernization of fare collection technology.
“We find that cash is inherently the most expensive fare to handle and therefore we are moving towards more prepared fare options.”
He says the company is looking at “tap” technology, that would allow riders to pay with things they had on hand such as an app, and eventually have an open paying system where people could pay with credit or debit cards.
“We do recognize that not everyone has a smartphone or even a bank account so we are ensuring that cash will always continue to be an option,” added Dennis.
He noted that the elimination of transfers would help reduce driver and passenger conflicts as well as the fraudulent use of expired transfers.
The current fare structure has been in place since 2014, without any revisions occurring since that time.
Other technological improvements that B.C. Transit is imprinting, known as SmartBus, include automatic passenger counters, CCTV, and real-time automatic vehicle location.
In its report, B.C. Transit says should no change in fare structure occur as proposed, the recovery rate will continue to quickly decline and the Prince George Transit system will not be able to continue with further improvements to the system such as technological improvements.
Coun. Cori Ramsay said she was apprehensive of the changes at first, but after some discussion changed her mind.
“After having a conversation about the things we want to do with our transit, and where it’s going to go, and how it’s going to benefit our passengers in the future that sold me,” said Ramsay. “The fact that we are going to be able to look at a map and see when the bus is coming or that you can buy a day pass on the bus – those are things we can’t do now.”
Council unanimously voted to approve Option One, and the changes proposed are set to roll out in September 2019.
