TTC launches automatic fare cap on September 1: free travel after 47 paid journeys
Starting Tuesday, September 1, anyone who pays for their TTC trips with a PRESTO card, PRESTO mobile wallet, or Interac debit or credit card will automatically start traveling for free after completing 47 paid trips in the calendar month, without needing to buy a monthly pass in advance.
How exactly does the cap work?
Each paid trip counts from the first card tap, which opens a two-hour transfer window; additional taps within that window do not count. Once 47 paid trips are reached in a month, the system automatically stops charging for any further trips until the end of that calendar month, and the count resets to zero on the first day of the following month. It is required to use the same payment method and device throughout the month for the system to accurately tally trips.
What about the traditional monthly pass?
The monthly pass, as it was previously known, will no longer be sold after August 31. Mayor Olivia Chow explained the change with a concrete example: “If you take the TTC to work every day, and that’s 44 trips in September, add one or two night trips, and you reach the maximum of 47 trips. After that, every trip for the rest of the month is free.” TTC Chairman Jamaal Myers summarized it this way: “It’s a practical, user-focused change that will help lower costs for frequent commuters and also makes the system simpler to understand.”
Who benefits and who should keep their current pass?
The program, which costs the city about $3 million, is designed primarily for irregular commuters: those who use the TTC some days and not others, or who don’t always know in advance how many trips they’ll take in a month. The TTC itself clarified that those who already have an annual pass or a post-secondary student pass will still benefit from those options, as they remain more advantageous than the automatic fare cap.
Why does this matter in particular to a newly arrived immigrant?
For those newly arrived in Toronto who don’t always have the cash on hand to pay for the entire monthly pass upfront, or for those who aren’t yet sure how many days they’ll need public transport that month because they’re starting a new job or language course, the automatic cap offers the same benefit as a monthly pass without that initial outlay. Simply continue paying for each trip individually with the same card, and the system takes care of the rest.
The date to keep in mind is September 1st: from then on, every tap of the card counts towards the limit, and September will be the first month in which you can see in practice how much this system saves.
Editorial Staff Mauricio Navas Talero LJI Reporter