Bus lines in Montreal and the surrounding areas will soon start accepting contact-free and digital tickets on smartphones as part of a pilot project amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) says under the project, all Montreal, Laval and Longueuil buses will begin accepting the digital bus passes beginning Sept. 1. This also applies to bus lines with Exo, the regional train authority.
“Since the gradual resumption of activities in the metropolitan area, the most significant increase in demand and ridership has been observed on the bus networks,” said Benoît Gendron, director-general of the ARTM, in a statement issued Tuesday.
The contact-free bus tickets, which cost $3.50 for a single pass, will be available for purchase on the Chrono and Transit smartphone apps.
Under the plan, commuters can buy several single-trip passes at a time. Once activated, the bus ticket is valid for two hours.
The pilot project will last until the end of the year, according to the ARTM.