Reloadable bus passes launch in Grande Prairie

People who use the bus in Grande Prairie may notice a new type of fare box on board.
 
The City of Grande Prairie has decided to run with a Superpass concept which replaces paper passes and tickets. Manager of Transit, Steve Harvard says they are going to create ease for riders as well as staff members.
 
“A number of similar-sized communities, like Red Deer and Lethbridge, already have this type of technology on board. We took advantage of federal and provincial grants to obtain this farebox system.”
 
He says fares will remain the same but the monthly passes will now be valid for 31-days from the first day of use.
 
“Everything is based on a tap card. It is a plastic card that has an embedded chip in it and all of the information is stored on the chip. Currently, when you go to purchase a card from one of the vendors, it comes preloaded with whatever product you are looking for.”
 
Previously purchased paper tickets and passes will be honoured until the end of December 2018. Coins and the Superpass will be the only ways to pay starting on January 1, 2019.
 
People can re-load their cards online or head to various city facilities.