HARRISBURG, Pa. - Capital Area Transit is launching a new fare system in July.
The transit authority which covers Cumberland and Dauphin counties are installing high tech electronic fareboxes on its buses.
“I think it’s very disturbing, it’s incapable, inconsistent and incompetent," said Willie Lyles who used to ride the bus.
That is just some of the feedback people are giving about Capital Area Transit's current fare card system. It is a system that is going away soon.
Some people I talked to are glad to see it go.
“My pet peeve is like for the elderly and stuff like people that are handicapped," said CAT rider Katlin Montgomery.
"It makes it a little bit of a slower process for them especially if the weather is extra windy or rainy or cold out.”
Right now, when riders get on the bus drivers have to punch holes in rider fare cards.
Beginning in July, CAT is putting electronic fareboxes on all buses that operate on fixed route fares.
Here is how it works, riders insert a card called "my pass" into the farebox.
The "my pass" card is kept and can be reloaded with more cash for fares at any time.
CAT says this will speed up the boarding process.
On Tuesday, CAT was doing a demo for riders on how the new fareboxes work.
"I came out to see what the machine actually did and how it operates," said bus rider Gary Kulip.
"So I’m not caught by surprised, come the first of July. It looks like it's going to make my life much easier."
CAT is doing other demo sessions in the next several weeks before the fareboxes are rolled out next month.
Visit www.cattransit.com/mypass/ to learn about the dates and times of the demos.