A new electronic payment service will be trialled by BC Transit in Victoria before potentially moving up Island into 2023. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

TAP AND GO

Contactless, phone-based payment eyed for RDN Transit service

Jan 26, 2022 | 4:50 PM

NANAIMO — Paying for the bus on the mid-Island could be about to leap into the 21st century.

A new electronic fare collection system set to be debuted by BC Transit in the fall of 2022 is forecast to make its way to Nanaimo and Oceanside shortly after.

Darren Marshall, RDN manager of transit operations told NanaimoNewsNOW they don’t have a fixed date yet and rollout of the project will depend on the trial on the south Island later this year.

“We have a lot of riding come from the Lower Mainland and they’re used to that tap method with mobile apps and credit cards. They’re looking for that same service and reliability and ease of service to use our transit system here.”

The new technology would be installed on all 64 conventional buses in the RDN’s fleet.

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Marshall added users would also be able to purchase tickets easily to move between different transit jurisdictions.

Coin machines will remain on board, however the proposed system also allows fares to be paid through a smartphone app linked to a payment method like a credit card.

The purchase of smart cards at a network of retail outlets will also further eliminate the use of cash on board which can sometimes be a barrier against taking the bus.

“There’s absolutely no reason for you to need to go to a store or search around for exact change because you’ll be able to do it all through the convenience of your mobile,” Christy Ridout, BC Transit vice president of business development said.

BC Transit plans to have the system online in the greater Victoria region by the fall before moving it out to its other markets across the province in the following months.

Fifty per cent of the $23.2 million project is paid for by the federal government with the province chipping in 40 per cent and the local governments combining for the remaining ten.

— with files from Jon DeRoo, 97.3 The Eagle

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alex@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley