PRESTO Upgrade Makes It Easier for GTHA Customers to Take Transit

TORONTO, July 16, 2013 /CNW/ - A successfully completed system-wide PRESTO upgrade in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) means more, easier-to-use online services are now available for over 580,000 PRESTO customers throughout the region.

"We've listened to the feedback from our customers and have made these changes to make their PRESTO cards even better. We want all of our customers to have the best experience possible with PRESTO and will continue to make enhancements based on their input," said Robert Hollis, Executive Vice-President of PRESTO.

More than 5,600 devices at 33 depots and 261 sites across the nine GTHA transit agencies that use PRESTO were upgraded on June 2, 2013. The upgrade introduces a new look to the PRESTO card and brings the next generation of the system to the GTHA, designed to accommodate future customer features and capabilities such as open payment with debit and credit cards. Today, the upgrade is making it easier for customers to manage their accounts online. Benefits include:

• Easier account management — customers can go to the new prestocard.ca to select personalized usernames and passwords, as well as manage up to ten PRESTO cards under one account.
• Auto-clearing of overdraft when cards are loaded online — if a customer's card goes into overdraft, it will now automatically clear when they tap after an online load.
• Period passes (e.g. monthly passes) — These can be loaded on cards and set to automatically renew by participating transit agencies, as an alternative to a minimum e-Purse balance.
• Concession fares for non-registered customers — child, student and senior concession fares are available for non-registered customers.
• Ability to transfer in overdraft — registered customers who go into overdraft at the beginning of a trip will be able to transfer and continue their trip.

Customers are encouraged to visit the new prestocard.ca to set up their new username and password to take advantage of the new features.

PRESTO's customer base has more than doubled in the past year alone, from approximately 269,000 cardholders in July 2012 to over 580,000 people today who are tapping their PRESTO cards to get on public transit in the GTHA.

PRESTO is a state-of-the-art electronic fare system that allows riders to pay their fare and travel seamlessly and conveniently with just one card across the region. PRESTO is fully deployed across GO Transit, Hamilton Street Railway, Burlington Transit, Brampton Transit, Oakville Transit, MiWay, York Region Transit, and Durham Region Transit. It is also available at 14 TTC subway stations and throughout Ottawa on OC Transpo.

Metrolinx is working to provide residents and businesses in the Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area with a transportation system that is modern, efficient and integrated. Find out more about The Big Move, a transportation plan for the GTHA. Find out more about PRESTO, Union Pearson Express and GO Transit, divisions of Metrolinx.

SOURCE: Metrolinx

Vanessa Thomas, [phone], [email protected]