- OPUS card
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OPUS Card 
Location Quebec, Canada Launched 2008-2009 Currency CAD Credit expiry None Auto recharge AMT TRAM Passes only. Validity Agence métropolitaine de transport Société de transport de Montréal Société de transport de Laval Réseau de transport de Longueuil Reseau de transport de la Capitale All Suburban transit authorities (see article) Website carteopus.info 
An OPUS card reader located at the Bonaventure Metro Station
Typical recharging station inside a Montreal Metro.OPUS is the name of a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card being gradually introduced in most of the public transit systems in the Canadian province of Quebec.[1][2] One card can contain up to four different kinds of fares. (An OPUS card can contain, for example, 1 STM monthly pass, 10 STL tickets, 6 CIT Laurentides tickets and 2 train tickets for AMT zone 5.) One transit fare simply overrides the other 3 when paying at any machine in a similar fashion to PayPass. The main goal behind the creation of this card is to reduce the amount of fare evasion that takes place in the province's transit systems.
The card can be found inside various points of sale where local transit fares are currently sold. Recharging stations can be found at Montreal Metro stations, train stations, and Agence metropolitaine de transport bus terminals, as well as where local transit fares are sold.
Contents
Participating transit authorities
Transit Authority Participant Since Validation Method Agence métropolitaine de transport[3] Fall[when?] 2008 ACS E-Validator Société de transport de Montréal[4] Fall 2008 GFI Genfare Odyssey Société de transport de Laval[5] Fall 2008 GFI Genfare Odyssey Réseau de transport de Longueuil[6] Fall 2008 Proxibus VPE 415 Proximity Reader Réseau de transport de la Capitale[7] Fall 2008 Proxibus VPE 415 Proximity Reader CIT Sorel-Varennes[8] February 2009 Proxibus VPE 415 Proximity Reader CIT Laurentides March 2009 GFI Genfare Odyssey CIT Chambly-Richelieu-Carignan April 2009 Proxibus VPE 415 Proximity Reader CIT Le Richelain April 2009 Proxibus VPE 415 Proximity Reader CIT Roussillon April 2009 Proxibus VPE 415 Proximity Reader Ville de Sainte-Julie April 2009 Proxibus VPE 415 Proximity Reader CIT La Presqu'Île May 2009 Proxibus VPE 415 Proximity Reader CIT Vallée-Richelieu April 2010 ITSMAX Electronic Farebox[9] CRT Lanaudière April 2010 ITSMAX Electronic Farebox CIT Sud Ouest April 2010 ITSMAX Electronic Farebox CIT Haut-Saint-Laurent April 2010 ITSMAX Electronic Farebox Rollout phases
- Spring[when?] 2008 - Testing with employees of transit authorities and select groups of testers.
- Spring 2008 - Deployed for users of the RTL only.
- Fall 2008 - Deployed for students on all three transit authorities as well as AMT TRAM users.
- Late Fall 2008 - Deployed for all regular fare users of all three transit authorities as well as AMT TRAM users.
- Spring 2009 - Start of deployment for users of CIT systems.
- Spring 2010 - End of deployment for users of CIT systems.
References
- ^ "Smart transit cards come to Montreal, Quebec". CBC News. 2008-04-21. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/04/21/qc-smartcards0421.html. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ "Opus's encore plays downtown". The Gazette (Montreal). 2008-07-15. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=7523163f-7b82-4ea7-847f-5179624b1d15. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ OPUS s'en vient bientôt
- ^ Carte OPUS STM
- ^ STL - Smart Card Information
- ^ RTL - Carte a Puce
- ^ RTC - Care a Puce
- ^ http://www.citsv.amt.qc.ca/avis/affich_avis.asp?no=431
- ^ Intelligent Transportation Systems
External links
See also
- Navigo (same technology)
- Octopus card
- Oyster card
- Calypso (electronic ticketing system)
- Metrocard is an older technology used by the New York Bus and subways
Categories:- Public transport in Quebec
- Montreal Metro
- Agence métropolitaine de transport
- Société de transport de Montréal
- Contactless smart cards
- Fare collection systems
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