Presto card, valid ID needed for kids to ride TTC for free
Posted July 12, 2016 11:13 am.
Last Updated July 13, 2016 5:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
All children under the age of 12 can currently ride the TTC for free but starting next year they’ll need to show ID to get the discount.
At a Monday night meeting, the TTC Board approved new fare policies: Children aged six to nine must carry Presto cards, and those aged 10 to 12 must carry a photo ID to ride for free.
Riders aged 13 to 19 must also carry a photo ID to get the youth discount.
“Ultimately your access to the system for everyone, regardless of your age, is going to be a card,” TTC Chair Josh Colle explained. “One of the challenges we’ve seen is the 14-year-old who claims they’re 12.”
In a report, the TTC said they lose $72.9 million annually to so-called concession fares. It’s broken down below:
- Post-secondary monthly pass = $13.5 million
- Senior cash, ticket, passes = $23.3 million
- Student cash, ticket, passes = $27.8 million
- Children free = $8.3 million
“We want to make sure it’s as user friendly as possible. I’ve got a six-, a 10- and a 12-year-old who ride transit. I guarantee you I’ll be holding the six-year-old’s card. He will not be,” said Colle. “At the same time there has to be some age identification on all our brackets, the same way a senior, in theory, could show a driver’s license to give proof of age.”
The TTC is cracking down on fare evasion, including on new streetcars with all-door boarding, and is asking for proof of payment on more routes. Asking children to carry passes and ID is just one more measure.