The Umo card (left) and paying a bus fare by scanning a smartphone app. (Photo via BC Transit)
BC Transit says it will stop selling sheets of 10 bus tickets, as well as adult, student, and senior monthly passes in Kamloops as of Oct 1.
It comes as it launched its new contactless fare payment system Umo (pronounced you-mo) in February, which is similar to Compass Cards used by Translink in the Lower Mainland.
As part of that launch, people will have to start swiping a Umo card or the scan the app on their phones to ride the buses in Kamloops to pay their fares.
“Umo was implemented in the Kamloops Regional Transit System as part of a 30-transit system deployment schedule spanning the province,” a BC Transit statement said.
“Last month, the organization celebrated the successful completion of Umo transit system deployments. With this significant milestone completed, BC Transit is ready to support riders in the next phase of the Electronic Fare Collection System Project.”
Ryan Dennis with BC Transit says the cards and the app can be topped up, with users able to buy a single-fare ride for $2 or tap twice for a $4 day pass.
“We’re not changing the fare products in terms of the dollars paid, but we are looking to change the means by which people are purchasing and using their fares,” Dennis said.
The Umo cards are currently available at a few locations in Kamloops, while anyone can download the Umo app on their smartphone.
“For those riders who don’t want to or cannot use the app, there is the Umo card,” Dennis said. “That card can be loaded with a set dollar amount or you can purchase a pass product to it.”
Cash payments will still be accepted on board a bus, as will debit and credit cards at some point down the line.
Proposed Updated BC Transit Fare Structure in Kamloops. (Photo via City of Kamloops)
People will also be able to pay their bus fares using cash and the BC Bus Pass. Other specialty passes in Kamloops like U-PASS, KamPASS, and ProPASS will also still be offered to people.
BC Transit also says a new Umo compatible DayPASS Token will be available “to support the needs of social wellness organizations that offer free or discounted fare products.”
They also note that people will still be able to pay bus fares with any legacy tickets and pass fare products they may have until it is used up.
You can find out more about Umo here.
