Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

[DSC]

On that note, I remember reading about a suggestion that instead of a fixed calender month, 30 day passes should be issued instead. Does anyone know if TTC ever mulled about that thought or theyre just taking a straight copy and paste onto presto?

The TTC told me last week " Presto will enable things like 7 and 30 day passes ( as opposed to "weekly's and monthly's". They still need to build this functionality but it is part of our contract. "

 

[nfitz]

Yet the press conference was not announced until yesterday afternoon.

That's 100% normal for an Ontario Ministry press conference.

And really ... you think that a re announcement from a second-string minister was done to bury something? If anything, had they known about this, they'd have avoided today, as the Presto thing will be buried.

 

[TOareaFan]

That's 100% normal for an Ontario Ministry press conference.

And really ... you think that a re announcement from a second-string minister was done to bury something? If anything, had they known about this, they'd have avoided today, as the Presto thing will be buried.

not to bury but to keep the minister away from QP and having to answer questions about what he did or didn't know about the other thing...yes, I do think he would that cynical to arrange a press conference about something as pre announced and half complete as Presto on the streetcars....you may disagree...but that is my opinion and far more believable to me than Harper made them have this presser.

 

[nfitz]

That makes no sense. Del Duca wasn't even in politics when the scandal happened. He was first elected after it. No one in QP would be asking him about it. It's not part of his ministry, and he of all ministers would have had no knowledge.

 

[crs1026]

I suspect the timing was more a matter of - it's getting pretty close to Christmas and people don't follow the news once they hit the holidays....and Ministers don't want to hang around at QP until the last day anyways.

- Paul

 

[TOareaFan]

That makes no sense. Del Duca wasn't even in politics when the scandal happened. He was first elected after it. No one in QP would be asking him about it. It's not part of his ministry, and he of all ministers would have had no knowledge.

Really? because even at Bathurst station it was one of the first questions he was asked

NEWSTALK1010Verified account ‏@newstalk1010 8h8 hours ago
Transport Minister Del Duca says he wasn't aware of charges against 2 ex-Liberal staffers, he had no comment for @newstalk1010 #ONpoli

 

[pstogios]

That makes no sense. Del Duca wasn't even in politics when the scandal happened. He was first elected after it. No one in QP would be asking him about it. It's not part of his ministry, and he of all ministers would have had no knowledge.

This isn't necessarily to feed into what was implied earlier to shelter Del Duca from QP, but it should be noted that he served on the legislative committee investigating the gas power plants scandal and specifically defending the actions of David Livingston... the man who was formally charged today.

Coincidence? You be the judge.

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&Date=2014-04-08&ParlCommID=8960&BillID=&Business=Members'+privileges&DocumentID=27889

http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/1.2597497

 

[nfitz]

Really. Why waste a question in QP asking someone who wouldn't be in the know.

Also, I listened to the press conference. It wasn't one of the first questions - it was one of the last.

I really don't fathom the point of this. No one would have asked him in QP, but you think he was hanging out with the media to avoid questions!?!?! This is getting into tin-foil hat territory!

Coincidence? You be the judge.

So he was hiding with the media!?!?

In QP, the government decides who answers the questions anyway, no matter who they are directed at.

Perhaps more to the point - the house wasn't even sitting today. So why was he in public, instead of in hiding?

 

[TOareaFan]

^one of the things that political strategists would hope for in scheduling a presser like this away from QP would be to take members of the QP press corp away from QP. So, on an otherwise quiet looking day, the MoT is at Bathurst station...so members of the press say "may as well go there"...not knowing that at around the same time the OPP is going to issue a press release like they did.....so there are many ways this was a distraction.....some won't agree or see it that way....but I do and disagreement on that point is fine.

 

[nfitz]

You can see who attended in the various pictures, etc. It was the usual transit crowd - not the reporters from the legislature, who presumably had much bigger fish to fry.

I can't fathom how anyone can turn such a simple thing into some whacky conspiracy. There are multiple ministerial announcement many days of the week. Today was no different.

 

[crs1026]

You can see who attended in the various pictures, etc. It was the usual transit crowd - not the reporters from the legislature, who presumably had much bigger fish to fry.

I can't fathom how anyone can turn such a simple thing into some whacky conspiracy. There are multiple ministerial announcement many days of the week. Today was no different.

No, each and every ministerial announcement, no matter how minor, is vetted six ways to Sunday with the Premier's office - this is standard procedure everywhere. And yes, the timing of press releases and photo ops is very much geared to incredibly detailed (and sometimes preposterous) theories about how to get things into, or keep them out of, the public radar screen.

What's interesting here is the theory that the Premier's office was actually dumb enough to think that it could push a major development in the Gas Plant scandal off the front page with a Presto event.....or to think that the remaining press staff didn't have enough past footage and filings to be unable to crib together a decent story anyways on short notice. Probably half the footage you saw tonight was put in the can beforehand, just in case.

Spin people do have these devious flights of fancy - and surprisingly, they actually work sometimes.

- Paul

 

[ssiguy2]

So if Presto is a Metropass replacement then does that mean you will no longer be able to get an unlimited travel card or whatever? Seems like a great way to discourage people from using transit for anything but work.

 

[nfitz]

So if Presto is a Metropass replacement then does that mean you will no longer be able to get an unlimited travel card or whatever? Seems like a great way to discourage people from using transit for anything but work.

You'll still be able to get a weekly or monthly (or some period) pass, but it will just be loaded onto your existing card. So instead of lining up at the station on the 1st of the month, you could just go online and buy it (or use a machine at the station).

 

[Napoleon]

You'll still be able to get a weekly or monthly (or some period) pass, but it will just be loaded onto your existing card. So instead of lining up at the station on the 1st of the month, you could just go online and buy it (or use a machine at the station).

Exactly. Once they migrate passes to Presto which won't happen until end of 2016.

It's like a metro pass but better. Your card can also do other things like pay for GO trains or fares on other systems. Eventually you might see migration in a couple directions. For example, in much of Asia you can use your transit cards in convenience stores or vending machines. Alternatively, the second generation Presto readers support NFC devices, so I imagine eventually you can load your Presto card in software on a mobile phone and just tap the phone to pay for transit.

 

[cplchanb]

Exactly. Once they migrate passes to Presto which won't happen until end of 2016.

It's like a metro pass but better. Your card can also do other things like pay for GO trains or fares on other systems. Eventually you might see migration in a couple directions. For example, in much of Asia you can use your transit cards in convenience stores or vending machines. Alternatively, the second generation Presto readers support NFC devices, so I imagine eventually you can load your Presto card in software on a mobile phone and just tap the phone to pay for transit.

A much desired item, though unfortunately it will be a pipedream for the foreseeable future