Riders on the Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District will soon be able to use a tap-to-pay feature following a vote Thursday by the MTS Board of Directors.
The board approved one-tap credit card use -- as opposed to using a pre-loaded PRONTO card, app or paying at a kiosk at a transit station -- which will allow riders to tap their physical credit cards or smart device-enabled credit cards on PRONTO validators on MTS or NTCD transit stations.
According to the agency, the option to pay for transit fare directly with a physical card or smart device was considered after numerous workshops with key stakeholders from the transit agencies, fare vendors and payment processor.
Additionally, the MTS board voted to add 34 more code compliance inspector positions to help patrol the transit system, increasing the total number of CCIs from 56 to 90. The agency also has 200 private security officers deployed through its contracted private security firm, Inter-Con.
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"The security and comfort of our riders, and employees is MTS' main priority," said MTS Board Chair and San Diego City Councilman Stephen Whitburn. "A stronger presence of security on the system and a more efficient payment system for riders on the go is something we've heard from the community, and today's action put words into action."
The hiring of additional security personnel will allow for increased coverage for trolley and bus enforcement teams, as well as the ability to have daily coverage on the passenger safety team and the homeless outreach team. The total annual cost for this increase in security staffing is approximately $4.2 million.
