Transit ridership slowly recovering
Public transit ridership is gradually recovering but is not yet at the officially aspired 75% of the pre-pandemic level. Numbers hover around 50% of their levels before March 2020.
This story contains a separate report about a hammer attack on the ticket booth in Côte-Vertu station on Friday night. Workers inside weren’t hurt, but the photo shows extensive damage to the booth glass.
Blork 14:20 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
I don’t even know how to take public transit anymore. My OPUS card has been suspended since April 2020, as I’m on the annual plan plus subsidized from my job. Since nobody was going into the office, they set up a “suspended” status. But what if I just want to do a quick jaunt somewhere? Can I buy a one-shot ticket from a bus driver? (I’m not going to un-suspend my OPUS until I’m ready to start using it daily or almost daily, and that might never happen.)
Kate 14:28 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
Is there any reason you can’t keep a few tickets on the same Opus, or even a different one?
I’ve used tickets for occasional trips since March 2020. Had a couple of weekly passes in the summer when my census work was at its peak and I was covering territory every day.
Kevin 15:29 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
I realized six weeks ago that my Opus card expired in mid-2020…
james lawlor 15:45 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
Kate: The STM has a problem with this issue. Your OPUS à l’année can actually be used with no problem even if it is currently suspended. You can even load a 10-pass onto it. Both these things cause problems for the STM.
If you load a 10-pass onto your OPUS à l’année, the passes will not be deducted when you scan it. Instead the system will think you want to use your monthly pass.
If you use your OPUS à l’année you will get an email from Telematik saying you violated their terms of service since you travelled using a non-valid pass.
You actually need to purchase a seperate OPUS card to load your 10-pass tickets. You can get the tickets transfered from your OPUS à l’année card to a newly purchased card if you go to a service centre.
Source: Personal experience and 1 hour of wasted time to get it sorted out.
Kate 16:05 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
james lawlor, I thought something like that might happen, which is why I wrote “or even a different one” above. Blork knows more than most people about the stern requirements of the Opus card. He has written about them.
Kevin 16:58 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
A couple days ago I read a piece by TVO arguing that Toronto should rethink its transit expansion because of the pandemic. I believe Montreal should do the same.
https://t.co/C0cEV1KnrJ
Blork 17:08 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
Yes, I guess the solution is a separate OPUS card. I’m less COVID-nervous about using the Metro now, so maybe I’ll do that soon. It will make the occasional 5 à 7 more enjoyable, as I won’t have to worry about D&Ding.
Kate 19:09 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
You know, it would be nice if they had Opus cards in different colours. Then you could remember which card had which fares on it. But that would involve an explicit admission that the fare system has been so complicated that people might need to do this.
JP 19:11 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
So true. I currently have 2 valid Opus cards and a couple of expired ones laying around. It’s so annoying.not knowing what’s what and having to grab everything.
j2 19:18 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
Woah! No need to slander the RPGs! You can still game high or drunk – just as long as you don’t get behind the wheel.
jeather 20:21 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
I usually write the expiration date on mine If I had two for one of those reasons I would mark them with nail polish or something to distinguish them.
Blork 22:02 on 2021-10-12 Permalink
Or just use a Sharpie and put a piece of scotch tape over it so it doesn’t rub off.
dhomas 05:51 on 2021-10-13 Permalink
I use this app to see which Opus is which:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=card.opus
It also tells me how many tickets I have left.
denpanosekai 08:51 on 2021-10-13 Permalink
WOW thanks Dhomas!!!
Kate 09:17 on 2021-10-13 Permalink
dhomas, that doesn’t need any special hardware?
Azrhey 09:31 on 2021-10-13 Permalink
I use that app too. @kate it uses the NFC thingamie used to for paying with your phone so if your phone is apple/google pay capable your good to go.
mare 09:43 on 2021-10-13 Permalink
@AZpzrhey I think it works with any Android phone that can read NFC cards.
@Kate
A version for iOS is probably possible, depending on what NFC tags are used in the OPUS card software. “Core NFC doesn’t support payment-related Application IDs.” I stopped doing programming and don’t have current enough hardware (neither Mac nor an NFC capable iPhone) nor a Developer account anymore to make one. Apple will probably also not let it on their store if it’s not sanctioned by OPUS.
mare 09:52 on 2021-10-13 Permalink
There are several iOS apps that read raw NFC data, but the OPUS info is probably encoded, so that won’t help.
dhomas 10:08 on 2021-10-13 Permalink
Any Android phone that has NFC can use the app. If you’re unsure if your phone has that, basically any phone that mentions payment capabilities like Google Pay or Samsung Pay is able to use this app. They all is the same underlying technology.
Kate 10:25 on 2021-10-13 Permalink
mare was right, it isn’t on the Apple app store.
dhomas 11:47 on 2021-10-13 Permalink
It’s not all too surprising. Apple was quite slow to adopt NFC, and their M.O. is to mostly lock stuff down so you can mostly only use their ecosystem. That said, I have no iDevices, so I could not confirm if there was any such app for iPhone.
thomas 16:31 on 2021-10-13 Permalink
The iOS app Recharge OPUS, is currently under beta testing allowing one to refill a new version of OPUS cards. Note that the app can still read the expiry of current non-refillable OPUS cards.
dhomas 08:24 on 2021-10-14 Permalink
@thomas do you know where you can sign up for the beta testing for Recharge Opus? I know some people who might be interested.