BC Transit to launch tap fare system with Victoria pilot in 2022

A BC Transit bus on Douglas Street in Victoria on Sept. 1, 2021. (CTV News).

BC Transit has announced plans to eventually bring touchless, electronic fare collection to buses across the province.

The new system, called Umo – pronounced "you-mo" – will allow riders to pay for trips with a reloadable smart card, mobile app, debit card, credit card, or mobile wallet.

Cash will continue to be accepted after the new system is implemented over the coming years, BC Transit said Tuesday.

The Umo system will be rolled out in two phases, with the first phase adding tap payments through reloadable smart cards and the mobile app. The second phase will include electronic payments through credit cards, debit cards and mobile wallets.

BC Transit said the Victoria Regional Transit System will be the first region to implement the new technology. A pilot program for the Umo system will launch in the Greater Victoria area by fall 2022.

"Modernization initiatives like this are important as we look to rebuild ridership to pre-pandemic levels and grow our public transportation system in the years to come," said B.C. Minister of Transportation Rob Fleming in a statement Wednesday.

"With the use of cash in sharp decline everywhere, efficient and convenient electronic fare payment options are the way of the future," he said.

Once fully implemented, payments through the Umo system can be used across the BC Transit system.

The operator says the electronic payment system will also improve service, since bus drivers will no longer need to validate physical tickets and handle bus fare as often as they currently do.

BC Transit expects that cleanliness will also improve because the farebox will be a less frequently used touchpoint.

The roughly $23.2-million electric fare system is being funded through the federal government, which is contributing 50 per cent of project costs, the provincial government, which is providing 40 per cent, and local government partners, which are contributing 10 per cent of project costs.

The Umo system will be implemented by Cubic Transportation Systems, which operates the TransLink Compass Card network in Metro Vancouver.