Nanaimo’s transit system is anticipating an end to paper‑ticket sales as of Dec. 1 as riders increasingly adopt a new electronic fare method that’s being rolled out across B.C.
Paper-ticket sales could end in Greater Victoria and the Cowichan Valley as early as Oct. 1, but an official date hasn’t been set yet, a B.C. Transit spokesman said Friday.
B.C. Transit said the timeline for elimination of paper-ticket sales in other transit systems is still being determined.
After Dec. 1, Nanaimo buses will continue to accept cash payments and, even though paper-tickets won’t be sold, they can still be used to pay for a fare.
The Nanaimo Regional District’s transit commission adopted the Umo phone app and tap card for fare payment in November 2023, as did the Cowichan Valley system.
Umo was introduced in Greater Victoria in August 2023. All Vancouver Island transit systems and most mainland B.C. Transit systems now offer Umo for fare payment.
Riders using the Umo app display a QR code on their cellphone and hold it up to a screen that scans it as they board.
They can also use a Umo card that they tap on the bus. Cards must be loaded with a minimum of $5, which pays for two rides, and can be reloaded online.
Locations selling Umo cards are listed on the Nanaimo Regional District transit commission’s website, rdn.bc.ca/regional-transit.
Nanaimo transit’s service area covers Cedar, Nanaimo and north to Lantzville, Parksville and Qualicum Beach.
Because the Nanaimo transit commission is in the midst of a fare review, its board asked B.C. Transit to postpone the end of paper-ticket sales to Dec. 1 from the planned Oct. 1. Review results, including community feedback, are expected to come to the board prior to Dec. 1, said Stuart McLean, chair of the transit commission board and a regional district director.
One issue is the $2.50 discount on 10-packs of paper tickets, which was eliminated in Greater Victoria on May 1 but remains in effect in Nanaimo.
The transit commission wants to look at whether the discount should be retained in another form once paper tickets are eliminated, McLean said.
That’s part of the reason the transit commission asked to move the transition to a fully electronic fare system back by two months, McLean said.
One advantage under the new system is that anyone who uses the Umo app or card to ride the bus twice in one day automatically gets a day pass, he said.
For social agencies that often hand out single paper tickets to clients in need, the plan is to introduce a system allowing agencies to download a code and to print it for clients to scan on a bus.
Another change is the elimination of monthly passes that cover a calendar month. Instead, a 30-day pass is good for 30 days from the date it is purchased, giving riders more flexibility.
Since Umo was introduced to the Nanaimo area in November, the bulk of riders are using either the app or the card, McLean said. The Umo app is available for free in the Apple and Google Play app stores.
• Information on Umo is available at bctransit.com/umo.
