GoPass 4+

This is a very convenient way of having a monthly ticket. The ones before got erased and it was hard to prove to the transit authorities that they were still valid or if I forgot the date that I bought it then I would be riding without knowing when I should buy it again. I always had to keep the receipt but still that one could be lost or the Ink would fade and be hard to see the date or duration. But I do like this system. Only thing that is missing is that I would like to be able to print the ticket receipts in my printer at home. That way if my phone died I could still show the receipt to the train police. Because I’m concerned of not having it on one day and not being able to show my pass could get me a fine.

Now let me be frank, I hate Dart. In the last few years bus fares have gone up and up for no reason other than that the company wanted it to increase by 20% by 2020. They don’t realize that the people who ride the bus depend on them to get to work everyday, these prices are getting ridiculous! Right now it’s at 6.00 for a day pass for an adult, minimum wage is currently 7.25 an hour. And I think my biggest issue with it is that it’s the same old bus they’ve always had. Why are we paying for a premium service but instead getting basic? I digress however, because at least the app is easy to use as well as very user friendly.

DART has a tap card that riders can use to simply tap and pay for rides rather than having to buy tickets at kiosks or at the front of the bus. I love the idea as it reduces wait times, trash from single use passes, and costs from operating and repairing kiosks at stations.

The issue I have is that there is no way to add your tap card to your Apple Wallet. I know it’s not a big deal to carry around an extra credit card sized piece of plastic but when the functionality exists to add transit cards to Apple wallet it makes sense to take advantage of it.

When I asked DART about this, I was told their main concerns were fare enforcement. I understand that the light rail system doesn’t have the same fare enforcement that the buses have with employees making sure you’ve purchased a pass before you get on but in the past six months I think I’ve seen fare enforcement on the trains maybe a handful of times so that seems like a moot point.

So, I like the app overall, but I really wish that DART gave its frequent riders the ability to store their tap cards on their Apple wallet so that riding can be easier.