U of O students should no longer see “card not activated” when trying to board Ottawa public transit
OC Transpo has assured University of Ottawa students that difficulties with certain student cards showing proof of payment on OC Transpo readers were resolved early Thursday morning.
Since classes began last week, students at the U of O, Carleton, and Algonquin have reported difficulties accessing LRT platforms and busses even after paying the $229.07 cost of the semester-long transit pass.
Instead of displaying proof of payment, the scanning of faulty cards showed “card not activated” messages, resulting in the rejection of the holder’s access to LRT platforms and transit services.
The faulty cards seem to have been a technological issue stemming from the switch of a solitary U-Pass to its integration onto student ID cards, which all three schools adopted simultaneously.
Communications within OC Transpo administration to their drivers were supposed to ensure that proof of student card upon boarding would classify as proof of payment for riders until the technological fix. However, OC Transpo advised that if any students had their card rejected, by a member of their staff, forcing them to re-pay for their fare, to use their receipts to apply for a reimbursement.
Eligible students are still waiting on the transit system and the U of O to instruct on how to proceed with refunds.
The ‘one card multiple functions’ program is aimed to “simplify access to transit services and campus facilities, streamlining daily activities” per the university’s program updates page.
The new U-Pass system began at the same time as a switch within the billing of U-Passes. Prior to fall 2024, eligible students would be charged $446.96 for an unlimited-use bus pass for the academic year (early September to late April). Now Statement of Accounts reflects term-based payments — from September to the end of December and January to the end of April.
