(08-31-2016, 02:51 PM)chutten Wrote: I'm more worried about prevalence of top-up stations. Every mom-and-pop can sell GRT tickets. Hell, my supermarket does.

But I'll bet it won't have a machine that'll take coins and turn it into trips on a card. If I don't have Internet where I live, or a bank account/credit card/etc. ... then how can I use the bus?

Suddenly everything gets harder for the disadvantaged.

(08-31-2016, 06:09 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: I cannot find the citation, but I seem to recall that it was suggested that top up machines would be found fairly universally, not just at GRT facilities, I think supermarkets were explicitly mentioned.

(09-01-2016, 09:26 AM)MidTowner Wrote:

(08-31-2016, 06:09 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: I cannot find the citation, but I seem to recall that it was suggested that top up machines would be found fairly universally, not just at GRT facilities, I think supermarkets were explicitly mentioned.

I’ve given tickets to people asking for bus fare on the street, and I’ve seen others do the same. Some people I know do that who would not be comfortable giving cash for their own reasons.

Some households buy strips of tickets to be used by multiple members. I have a neighbour who asks another neighbour for a bus ticket when he takes one of his very seldom bus trips.

These kinds of things are not possible with a fare card.

No matter what, tickets will be more flexible than a pre-loaded card, even if you can preload at very many locations and with no minimum top-up, using any form of money. I still don’t think that’s a strong argument against moving away from tickets, but people of less means will be disadvantaged in some ways that should be mitigated where possible.

Question for anyone who might know: if an EasyGO card is loaded using cash at a machine, is there any requirement to associate a name or any other personal information with that card? For people who buy passes, can the pass be purchased at a kiosk and a receipt provided, again without a name or other information being associated with the card?

(09-01-2016, 01:45 PM)KevinL Wrote: As for top-up machines, I beleive Presto has automated units and I am hopeful EasyGo will do the same. We may even see them on Ion platforms, major bus hubs like the Boardwalk, etc.

(09-05-2016, 08:20 PM)dunkalunk Wrote: Did anyone else notice that they changed the font on GRT bus destination signs? I asked a driver and he confirmed they changed in on Sunday. They appear to show a larger, non-shifting route number. There also appears to be more emphasis on the name of the route and less on the destination. I'll post a picture once I get one tomorrow unless someone beats me to it.

(09-05-2016, 08:20 PM)dunkalunk Wrote: Did anyone else notice that they changed the font on GRT bus destination signs? I asked a driver and he confirmed they changed in on Sunday. They appear to show a larger, non-shifting route number. There also appears to be more emphasis on the name of the route and less on the destination. I'll post a picture once I get one tomorrow unless someone beats me to it.