A local transit advocacy group is applauding Transit Windsor’s new Umo fare payment system, calling it a long-overdue improvement that will make riding the bus more convenient. Activate Transit Windsor-Essex community organizer Nate Hope says he’s been testing the app for the past couple of months and expects riders will appreciate being able to reload fares from home rather than travelling to a transit terminal or retailer. “Having this option, it’s going to save me a lot of time. Don’t have to go to Shoppers or Rexall to fill out my card or the main station. I can just fill it up straight from my house and then hop on the bus and scan the code and good to go,” Hope said. The Umo system will allow riders to pay fares through a mobile app or a reloadable Umo card. Hope says riders shouldn’t find the learning curve too steep. “You just kind of click on the app, then you go pay with your ticket and then it shows the QR code on the screen and you just scan it right on the bus there and it works,” he said. “It’s not difficult at all to use. I’m sure anyone can can learn to use it.” Some riders have expressed disappointment online that debit and credit tap payments won’t be available when the system launches, although Transit Windsor says that feature is still planned for the future. Hope says he’d like to see those options eventually, but he’s encouraged by the progress. “There are a lot of places in the province right now where you can pay with just credit or debit, and even here in the city with the Linq Tunnel Bus, you can already pay with debit or credit when you go on the bus,” he said. “These changes, they are long overdue, but I’m glad that they’re happening now.” The Umo system launches Oct. 5. Riders who prefer not to use a smartphone can purchase a reloadable Umo card for $6 or continue to pay cash fare. Riders are encouraged to purchase passes and reload in smaller increments, as any unused value on current smart cards must be used by Dec. 31, 2026, and cannot be transferred to the Umo app or card.
