BC Transit launches Umo card and smartphone fare payment system

Umo fare payment system. (BC Transit)

The bus public transit network in Greater Victoria is now the first BC Transit system to see a new digitalized fare payment system, providing alternatives to cash payment.

The provincial public transit authority first announced Umo, the name of the system, in January 2022. After the initial launch in Victoria this week, Umo will be progressively expanded to other public transit networks operated by BC Transit across the province.

“I am so excited to take this giant leap to achieving our goal of making BC Transit ‘your best transportation solution,’” said Christy Ridout, the vice president of strategy and public affairs for BC Transit, in a statement.

“We heard our riders when they asked for a new way to pay their fare and we are so pleased to provide them with the innovative Umo solution.”

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Similar to TransLink’s separate Compass Card for Metro Vancouver, Umo provides passengers with a reloadable smart card, which can be picked up for free from a BC Transit fare vendor, including London Drugs. Stored dollar value or passes can be continually loaded onto the Umo card through a vendor, the dedicated Umo website, or the Umo customer service centre phone hotline at 877-380-8181.

Passengers will tap their Umo card onto the fare validator reader upon boarding the bus. BC Transit recommends passengers register their card by creating an Umo account online to safeguard their loaded fare value in case the card is misplaced.

Umo smart card. (BC Transit)

Umo fare validator machine on a bus, with the Umo card being tapped. (BC Transit)

For passengers with smartphones, for added fare payment convenience, they can download the Umo Mobility app for free on both iOS and Android. Using the app, a fare can be purchased online, with passengers displaying the provided unique dynamic QR code for scanning on the fare validator reader on a bus.

Additionally, the Umo app offers other features to help passengers plan their trip, including real-time information, maps, and alerts for nearing a bus stop or if their fare product is running low on funds or is nearing expiration.

Online fare payment on the Umo smartphone app. (BC Transit)

Example of a QR code for the proof of fare payment on the Umo smartphone app. (BC Transit)

The arrival of Umo also means some changes to BC Transit’s fare structure, including the introduction of the 30-Day Pass and Cash Balance fare products. The 30-Day Pass will eventually replace the existing Monthly Pass, with the flexibility benefit of not having to wait until the start of a calendar month to use a month-long pass. Cash Balance will eventually replace paper tickets, providing a stored dollar amount a passenger can use for trips.

The existing Monthly Pass and paper ticket fare products will be discontinued in a few months to provide passengers with time to transition to Umo. Cash will still be accepted.

The Day Pass fare product can be accessed through Umo, but riders paying with a Cash Balance will have their fare capped and automatically converted to a Day Pass after paying for their second trip of the day. Passengers will be informed of this conversion with a message on the digital screen of the onboard fare validator. A rider will never pay more than two times the value of a cash fare for unlimited daily travel.

For passengers who use the U-Pass or ProPass, the Umo system digitizes their process, replacing the previous in-person processes.

In the future, BC Transit will further expand Umo by enabling fare payment by tapping debit and credit cards, similar to TransLink’s Compass Card.

Umo fare validator on a bus. (BC Transit)

Umo fare validator machine on a bus, with the QR fare payment code on a smartphone being scanned. (BC Transit)

“I am pleased to celebrate that Umo is now live for use in the Victoria Regional Transit System. This innovative system supports our goal of making transit the preferred mode of travel for people in the Victoria region by increasing access to selecting transit and allowing riders to pick the best payment method and fare for their lifestyle and travel habits,” said Ryan Windsor, the chair of the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, and the mayor of Central Saanich.

Through a bidding process, BC Transit selected San Diego-Cubic Transportation Systems to provide a new digital fare payment system. Cubic is already a longtime fare payment systems provider for TransLink, including the current Compass system, as well as for the major systems in New York City and London.

The entire Umo project for 30 local public transit systems across the province comes at a cost of $23.2 million, with the federal government covering 50%, the provincial government covering 40%, and local governments covering the remaining 10%.

Following the launch of Umo in Victoria, BC Transit will further expand the new fare payment system to other public transit networks in the following order:

Cowichan Valley Regional
Regional District of Nanaimo
Comox Valley Regional
Campbell River
Port Alberni Regional
Powell River Regional
Sunshine Coast
Squamish
Pemberton Valley
Central Fraser Valley
Chilliwack
Agassiz-Harrison
Hope Regional
Kamloops
Vernon Regional
Kelowna Regional
South Okanagan-Similkameen
West Kootenay
Cranbrook
Prince George
Quesnel
Fort St. John
Dawson Creek
Kitimat
Terrace Regional
Skeena Regional
Prince Rupert
Port Edward
Whistler

TransLink’s Compass system, which is based on older technology, currently has limited capabilities, unlike the latest technology being used for Umo. The 2013-designed Compass system was widely launched in late 2015, and fare gates for SkyTrain stations and SeaBus terminals closed in 2016 after a transition period.

TransLink is currently in the process of considering a technological, equipment, and hardware overhaul of the Compass system at an estimated cost of over $200 million. The existing Compass system is approaching the end of its lifespan, and an upgrade could also potentially enable new fare products, such as a similar Umo smartphone app for online fare payment, and the transition to a distance-travelled fare structure for SkyTrain and SeaBus trips, replacing the existing three-zone fare structure.

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