Transit Windsor is working to educate the public on a new system to pay fares to ride a city bus. As part of a multi-million-dollar investment to modernize Windsor’s transit services, the new Umo fare management system will launch on the city’s 129 buses on Oct. 5. It’s designed to provide riders with more ways to pay fares and access transit services. Executive Director of Transit Windsor, James Chacko, says the system is intended to make paying for and using transit simpler. “What Umo does is give riders more choice in how they pay. It allows customers to sign up for the Umo mobile app, which allows them to reload funds and manage their choices, depending on how they want to purchase passes, single passes and multi-passes, if they are applying for 15 to 30-day passes,” he says. Through the Umo mobile app, riders can reload funds, manage multiple riders under a single account, and access trip planning and real-time transit information. Riders who prefer not to use a smartphone can purchase a reloadable Umo card for $6 or continue to pay cash fare. Chacko says the riders will not be alone in this transition. “Transit Windsor is going to provide a great deal of online resources, demonstrations, and hands-on support at the Windsor International Transit Terminal and other sites,” he says. “They will be getting out into the community, engaging with riders, and engaging with high school kids as we’re just getting ready to start another season.” Chacko says they will also be engaging with various community partners to help people understand how Umo works. “How it can really help them utilize the transit service from a fare management standpoint, but also there are additional operational components in the system that will help them understand the rider’s schedule and the bus frequency route structure so it makes utilizing and accessing transit services here in the city of Windsor that much more convenient,” he says. Riders are encouraged to purchase passes and reload in smaller increments, as any unused value on current smart cards must be used by December 31, 2026, and cannot be transferred to the Umo app or card. Exact cash payment will still be accepted.
