Presto card solves some problems, creates others
Re TTC transferring us to whole new set of headaches, Oct. 12 Did Edward Keenan never stop in at a busy subway station and observe long lines of people trying to buy tokens or bus tickets, or simply waiting to deposit an already purchased ticket or put exact change in the cash box?
Add that congestion to the end-of-the-month crush for people waiting to get passes. To answer his lead question: These are the problems Presto can solve. Cardholders will be able to quickly go through the turnstile rather than waiting in line. Nice, no? As for the card running out of money and leaving the rider in a lurch: a solution is already on offer. You can arrange to have your credit card debited when the balance goes below a certain amount. You can choose how much to put onto Presto. You can even check the Presto balance and add to it at machines in the subway station. Suffice it to say, I did not understand Mr. Keenan’s objections. Bring on the cards and the readers! Janet Stern, Toronto Mayor Tory, what a mess our system has become and Presto is now just adding to the mess, not helping it. Judy Midgley, Toronto I want to thank Edward Keenan for the excellent opinion piece about the failings of the Presto card.
However, there is one more issue to address. Presto cards are discounted for seniors and students. However, to activate the discount, according to the TTC website, “you will need to set a concession on your PRESTO card. This can be done at the Customer Service Centre at Davisville Station, 1900 Yonge St. Once the concession is set, you can load your senior/student fare.” Because many seniors have mobility issues, it is very difficult for them to reach the Customer Service Centre at Davisville. For good reason, many seniors are extremely wary about accessing any TTC office until 100 per cent of stations have working elevators. Does that mean seniors cannot use the Presto card? Or does it mean they are welcome to use it, but have to pay the undiscounted fare? Kim Ellen Levis, Toronto Do you know what an exciting, refreshing news story I would love to see on the front page of the Star? “Government project completed in time and under budget.” Sigh, just a silly dream. Pat Sherbin, Grafton, Ont. As the Star reported last week on possibly more delays on the Scarborough subway soap opera as well as new problems with implementing Presto, it seems the litany of woes on the TTC continues unabated.
The question is “why?” We never seem to get straight answers, just excuses, from TTC brass. As many riders will note the system is not dependable. It’s time for a full public inquiry into the problems afflicting our city’s transit system. The province should take charge of running it. The GO system clearly works better than the TTC.
A city transit system that works is vital to Toronto’s and Ontario’s economy and it’s too important to be controlled by our inept city government. Andrew van Velzen, Toronto A simple Google search will quickly reveal the history of the flawed Presto transit payment system in many Canadian cities. There is even a website dedicated to riders’ experience at prestopain.ca. “Does paying with Presto feel like getting a root canal?” asks the website.
So how is it, despite all the pre-existing damning evidence, that Toronto “wisely” invested in this doomed-to-fail system? It’s like buying a car everyone knows is a lemon, then complaining later that you bought a lemon — “the engine won’t start, the roof leaks and the wheels fell off.” Surely there must have been another car that you could have bought. Jeff Green, Toronto