Mayor ‘as frustrated as anybody’ with tap-to-pay delays for Halifax Transit

Halifax is delaying the launch for its tap to pay system for buses and ferries.

Halifax’s mayor says transit users have a right to be frustrated that the rollout of tap-to-pay has been delayed.

It’s been discussed for years and had finally been set to roll out on Sept. 21, to coincide with a $.25 fare increase, bringing the new cost to $3.25.

But a staff report coming to city councillors tomorrow says the new target is “late December.”

“A revised launch date of December 2026 for the new technology is recommended to allow sufficient time for development and integration work to ensure the system meets required performance, reliability, security, and user-experience standards,” the report reads.

“It is well behind the times,” says Mayor Andy Fillmore. “This is not new technology. This is proven technology that’s been around for at least a decade.

“I’m as frustrated as anybody.”

Currently, payment options include exact change, ticket booklets, or using the HFXGO app.

Fillmore says tap is a “very important” addition to the mix to make payment options “barrier-free,” adding that it’s “long overdue.”

“The ability to pay fares by tapping existing credit and debit cards on the Justride platform has been successful in other jurisdictions across the country, and extensive user acceptance and security testing will be conducted in advance of launch,” the staff report reads.

Deputy Mayor Patty Cuttell says ensuring Halifax gets the rollout right is vital, especially given heightened cybersecurity concerns.

“My focus is really going to be on making sure that what the system offers is secure, is reliable and does have a good user experience,” she says.

The report says, “integration and certification requirements of the payment processor for contactless credit and debit transactions is more complex and time intensive than initially anticipated.”

Fillmore indicated on Monday that he’ll ask councillors to support an alternative motion to delay the fare increase until ‘tap’ is ready, which would cost about $290,000 of revenue.

But visitors who spoke to CTV News on Monday were caught off guard to learn that exact change or an app were their only options.

“I’m kind of surprised,” says Kim LeBlanc. “I did live in Toronto for a long time, and we’ve had tap there for as long as I can remember.”

“I’m from Vancouver,” says Michael Matue. “For us, we actually use the credit cards and interact for tap, and it’s very convenient, especially for visitors who don’t have time or don’t know where to go to grab any change or to get a card or anything like that.”

“I’m visiting, and I actually downloaded the app because trying to find five bucks to get out to the airport [is] always a bit of a challenge,” says Jennifer Nicholson. “But the app was simple.”

Cape Breton Regional Municipality rolled out its ‘tap-and-go’ payment system in June and says, “early feedback from riders has been overwhelmingly positive.”

“People are telling us they appreciate how quick and easy it is to pay with a debit card or directly from their phone,” CBRM spokesperson Jenna MacQueen says in a statement. “Since many riders already use the transit app to track their bus in real time, being able to pay on their phone is a natural next step.”

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