Finally, a one-fare pass for commuters who use the TTC, Mississauga Transit, and the GO system called Presto! But, don’t get too excited yet. It’s just a pilot project for now. Presto will be tested out by 500 volunteer commuters for at least 6 months. And preferably these commuters will use a combination of the TTC, Mississauga Transit, and GO.

Presto is essentially a debit card that will be embedded with a computer chip and antenna, and loaded with a dollar value. Commuters will be able to load value to their cards online or at transit kiosks which will be strategically located. The cards themselves will not contain any personal information so you will not be at risk if your card is lost or stolen. The information will be kept securely in a central computer.

If Presto works as it is intended, commuters will no longer have to worry about passes, tickets, tokens, and exact change. Instead they will simply tap Presto on an electronic reader that will deduct the lowest applicable fare. Everything comes with a price and if Presto becomes a reality it is estimated that it will cost the TTC $300 million to launch and then another $25 million annually in operating costs.

Are you a commuter who is currently using multiple transit systems? Will Presto make a big difference for you? How about those of you live and work in the GTA, do you want $300 million in your transit dollars to go to Presto?