Starting Aug. 10, Peterborough Transit riders will once again be expected to pay a fare before boarding the bus.
As part of the City of Peterborough’s COVID-19 emergency response, fare collection had been paused during the pandemic surge in March, for the safety of customers and employees.
Now, with barriers separating drivers having been installed and a mandatory mask order having taken effect, the transit agency says customers can safely board at the front of the bus instead of the back, and pay fares.
Peterborough Transit is also introducing a new, contactless fare payment method for customers with smartphones. The HotSpot app, available through the Apple App Store and Google Play, can be used to load payments before they get on the bus.
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The app requires a membership fee, valued at $2 plus tax monthly, or $20 plus tax annually.
“We know this has been a difficult time,” said Councillor and Transportation Co-Chair Kemi Akapo. “And as part of its commitment to social responsibility, for the first four months, HotSpot is waving its membership fee for its app for this service.”
Cash fare will also be accepted on the bus. The sales location inside the Peterborough Transit Terminal will be available for cash, debit and credit purchases starting Aug. 4, with the customer counter operating from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The Lansdowne Place sales location will also be available for debit only purchases of transit passes starting Aug. 10.
According to Manager of Transit Laurie Stratton, ridership was down almost 95 per cent in March. As the Stage 2 recovery phase began in June, Stratton said ridership jumped back up to 75 per cent.
According to numbers from June, 1.3 million trips have so far been made on Peterborough Transit in 2020, in comparison to the 4.85 million in 2019.
The transit agency says riders entering the Peterborough Transit Terminal customer service area are required to wear face coverings. The number of customers inside the customer service area will be limited to support physical distancing. However, seating and washrooms in the customer service area at the terminal remain closed.