OC Transpo unveils 2012 business plan

OC Transpo plans to introduce its PRESTO card and open up its bus-location data this year, part of efforts to have as general manager Alain Mercier put it, more "happy customers."

The transit authority unveiled itsbusiness planfor 2012 to the transit commission Thursday, and said it planned to increase fares by 2.5 per cent beginning on July 1st.

Mercier also committed to releasing bus-location data to software application developers by March 22, a promise that he and OC Transpo have gone back and forth on over the last year.

90 per cent of fleet GPS equipped

About 90 per cent of OC Transpos bus fleet have GPS locators, and developers have been clamouring to access the data, with some aiming to create mobile phone software that will tell riders when their bus is set to arrive.

Councillor Tim Tierney, the head of the commission's information technology subcommittee, said there were a number of issues that had to be ironed out before OC Transpo would commit to releasing the data.

"We had to deal with the possibility of server issues if people are attacking our servers, how we can ... make sure we protect our servers and our interests," said Tierney.

"As well there was a discussion around 'Is there any revenue opportunities?'" he said.

Revenue options for bus data 'minimal'

"We've ... decided that the opportunities are minimal and at this point it is much more valuable to get that information stream to the public."

OC Transpo also said in 2012 it would introduce the PRESTO card, which would allow riders to get a card similar to a library card, top it up at a machine or online, then tap it when they board a bus or train to pay.

In the fall of 2012, the first of OC Transpo's new fleet of double-decker buses will also start running.