stm montreal

The prayers of Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) users who are tired of fumbling through their wallets just to ride the metro or bus have finally been answered.

Digital fares are officially on their way, meaning Montrealers will soon be able to tap their phones at turnstiles and bus readers instead of pulling out an OPUS card. But before anyone throws their plastic card into the nearest snowbank, there is one important caveat: if you own an iPhone, you are not at the front of the line

According to new details obtained by the Journal de Montréal, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) is entering the next phase of its long-awaited $146-million digital fare overhaul, known as Project Concerto. The first wave of public access will begin in a few weeks (shortly after the holidays), when thousands of Android users will be invited to test virtual transit cards in the Chrono app. Once activated, riders will be able to tap their phones to validate individual or monthly fares just like a physical OPUS card.

"It's a small revolution, especially for young people," Sylvain Perras, executive director of digital transition at the ARTM, told the Journal de Montréal. "For everyone, actually. People like having it only on their phone."