Have you seen one of the new 20 dollar bills yet? Had any trouble
spending one? Some riders have had them rejected when using TTC
token vending machines, but hopefully the problem will be sorted out
by the end of this week. The TTC's Vince Rodo says that there are
just over 100 of these big red devices across the transit system,
and the bill acceptors have to be upgraded with special computer
hardware whenever a new bank note is circulated.
The vending machines are located either at unattended subway
entrances, or near collector booths where line ups often occur. Says
Rodo, "Between 80 and 90 have a new chip in it so you can use a 20
dollar bill, and by the end of the week the remaining 15 or so will
have the chip in them." Other machines, which riders may see covered
in large bags, are simply waiting for repairs unrelated to the new
bills.
The technology used in these kind of machines must be able to accept
both crisp notes and those that have been in wide circulation, but
the TTC has had some trouble with the lowest denomination of paper
money. Says Vince Rodo, "The fives are a problem. Five dollar bills
[are] the most used bills out there, and they get worn pretty
quickly."
The machinery that scans the bills was having a hard time
recognizing older notes, and instead of spitting them back out, it
would jam. For this reason, says Rodo, the TTC decided to
discontinue allowing fives.
While patrons could
not use that bill, they could still use other denominations and
coins, which he says is better than having the machines jam
frequently.The TTC's vending devices are now heavily used, says Rodo.
"When we bought these machines several years ago, we were selling
something like 3 or 5 million dollars a year worth of tokens... now
we're up to 35 or 40 million."
He adds the machines are "stretched beyond their original intent"
and staff are looking at a new generation of machines "that will
also let you to use a debit or credit card, and maybe even ... tell
us when the machine is empty of tokens." At the same time, the TTC
has been examining a prototype device that will sell monthly passes.
The transit official states, "We fully expect that before ... the
year is out that you will see in the subway at least one or a couple
of the new style vending machines to sell Metropasses. That same
kind of machine - or something very similar -- might be usable as a
token vending machine."
Over at GO transit, there have been a few glitches with new ticket
vending machines being set up at rail stations across the system.
For now, the machines are working only at a handful of sites,
including the train and bus terminals at Union Station. GO's version
accepts coins, debit and credit cards, but no paper money. GO
official Bob Boyle says that there have been problems with the
"communication link between the machine and the bank."
Some of the machines have been in place for a month or two, as the
company that supplies them sorts out the problem. Boyle says "we're
optimistic that we are days away" from having them up and running,
once the communication problem is solved.
Staying ahead of the latest technology is tricky, and GTA transit
have to keep up. With a new TTC weekly pass due out next year, and
the province looking at a simplified way to pay fares on various
systems, more glitches are likely.
Send e-mail to
transit@eddrass.com. Include address and phone number.