Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) is getting rid of paper tickets and passes.
The move comes as ETS continues its rollout of Arc, the regional electronic fare payment system. Since 2022, the service has been rolling out Arc in stages to different fare groups to provide riders time to transition from the traditional ETS fare products to Arc.
Starting on Nov. 9, ETS paper passes and tickets will no longer be available for purchase.
“As Arc is now available to all ETS riders, we are approaching the next stage in modernizing how riders pay their transit fare in the Edmonton region, which is the discontinuation of sales of ETS paper tickets and passes,” said Sarah Feldman, director of transit planning, ridership and revenue with ETS.
“We understand Arc is a big change for riders, especially since ETS paper products have been around for a long time.”
With Arc, transit users can load money onto their cards using a credit card, debit card or cash. Riders can load money onto their Arc cards online, by phone, at an Arc vending machine or at an in-person service centre or retail outlet.
“Since Arc cards are pay-as-you-go, riders no longer need to pay upfront for a paper pass or a pack of tickets, they pay for transit as they use it,” Feldman said. “Daily and monthly fare caps ensure riders will not pay more than they would with their paper day pass or monthly pass.”
Transit users who don’t use ETS all that often have the option of buying 90-minute or 24-hour Arc tickets, rather than an Arc card. The tickets work the same way as a card and can be used to tap on and tap off transit.
Cash fares will continue to be accepted on buses, according to Feldman.
“However, if riders do decide to buy an Arc card, they can load the card with money as they need it, so there is no need to purchase individual Arc tickets or track down exact change each time they use transit,” Feldman said.
Next year, ETS will launch a multi-day Arc pass, which Feldman said is aimed at weekend or occasional riders.