Skip to main content

Umo comes to public transit in Canada's Sault Ste. Marie

Ontario city's transit system will still include a cash payment option
By Adam Hill September 21, 2023 Read time: 1 min
Boarding should now be quicker for bus passengers (© Candy1812 | Dreamstime.com)

Sault Ste. Marie Transit in Ontario, Canada, is using Cubic Transportation Systems' cloud-based payment system Umo.

Riders can go contactless by tapping a reloadable Umo smartcard or using the Umo Mobility app on mobile devices to pay their fare.

“One of the most anticipated features of the Umo system is the implementation of smart card bus passes, including automatic digital transfers,” said Brent Lamming, director of community services at the Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie. 

“Passengers will enjoy the convenience of purchasing and storing their bus passes digitally. These smart cards, coupled with an intuitive mobile app, will offer a simplified method for accessing transit services, allowing riders to swiftly board buses without the hassle of handling physical tickets.”

Umo will help reduce boarding times, but customers will still be able to use cash using Tag Canada's integrated mechanical fareboxes.

Matt Newsome, SVP and GM, Cubic Transportation Systems, says: “The Umo platform helps enable frictionless, equitable access to transit for all, and we are excited to help bring those benefits to eastern Canada."

Funding was received from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program as well as the Canadian government and Province of Ontario.

Related Content

  • MasterCard and Masabi integrate mobile ticketing
    January 15, 2015
    A global partnership between MasterCard and mobile ticketing provider Masabi is set to combine MasterCard’s payment technology with Masabi’s JustRide mobile ticketing platform, providing consumers with a faster and more convenient way to get around a city’s transit system. Masabi will integrate MasterPass, MasterCard’s secure digital payment service, into JustRide, enabling consumers to pay for their ticket with a simple touch. The first city to benefit from this alliance will be Athens, where passe
  • Cubic installs mobile bus validators for Minneapolis Metro Transit
    February 25, 2016
    Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) is to install mobile validators on the Minneapolis Metro Transit bus fleet to replace previous card validators used in the Go-To smart card system. The state-of-good-repair project was awarded under a US$5 million contract. The new validators meet Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) compliance and include the capability of adding technologies in the future such as NFC-mobile payments, open payments and account-based processing. Metro Transit ordered more than 2,000
  • Washington State’s Community Transit launches real time bus information
    October 25, 2012
    Community Transit in Washington State in the US is equipping all its buses with GPS, automatic passenger counters and other technology that will improve operations, enhance the customer experience, and eventually allow customers to get real-time bus information by phone, computer or mobile device. The Transit Technologies pilot project was launched on a small set of commuter buses to downtown Seattle
  • Auckland public transit to go contactless in 2024
    June 27, 2023
    New Zealand's biggest city will introduce new payment options alongside its Hop card