Transit introducing electronic fare system, reloadable pass this fall

Medicine Hat – Beginning this fall, Medicine Hat Transit will introduce a new way to pay when boarding the bus. The new electronic fare collection system allows contactless payment. With the new system, transit will also introduce a new reloadable card, known as the MHT Go! pass, which riders will tap or scan to pay when boarding.

The project was first announced in 2020, when grant funding from the federal government was secured to support technology upgrades to transit, upgrades to Athletic Park and Echo Dale Regional Park and multiple other projects.

“We’re excited to finally be able to share this project with our riders, as well as the rest of our city,” said Gordon Dykstra, acting manager of Medicine Hat Transit. “This technology is more secure, and often more convenient than carrying cash.”

The MHT Go! pass will allow riders to easily load and re-load their card, through an online account or by visiting a fare vendor. Riders can also pay fare using an app on their smartphone. Current transit fares will remain in place.

Transit will work to introduce the community to features of the new electronic fare system over the coming weeks, and new reloadable passes will be available starting in October.

“We know our riders will have a lot of questions, and more detailed information will be provided in the weeks ahead,” Dykstra said. “Our drivers and transit staff will be happy to answer questions as they come. To allow transit riders to gain familiarity, we plan to introduce the new system over several months beginning in early October.”

Even with the new system in place, transit drivers will continue to accept regular monthly bus passes until the end of the year.

“Our buses will also remain equipped to take cash fares,” Dykstra added.

The City of Medicine Hat thanks the Government of Canada for supporting this project through the COVID-19 Resilience funding stream under the existing Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The new stream allows municipalities to reallocate previously approved funding to projects that would stimulate local construction and support economic recovery from the pandemic. The federal funding is delivered through a bilateral agreement with the province of Alberta and applies to retrofits, repairs and upgrades for municipal buildings, COVID-19 response infrastructure, active transportation infrastructure (parks, trails, foot bridges, bike lanes, and multi-use paths), and disaster mitigation and adaptation.

Regular monthly passes for September are now available to purchase from any of our vendors.

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