Greenlink is proposing that the sale of paper 20-ride punch passes be discontinued effective July 1, 2020. The proposed fare policy change is expected to be discussed at the Greenville Transit Authority (GTA) board meeting on Thursday, February 27.
The meeting will take place at 12:30 p.m. at the Greenlink Transit Center (100 W. McBee Ave). Public comments on the proposed change will be accepted at the meeting. Greenlink customers who are unable to attend the meeting can provide feedback by email to [email protected] or by phone at 864-298-2756 until February 25.
If the paper passes are discontinued, customers will still be able to purchase the 20-ride pass using TouchPass, Greenlink’s electronic ticketing system, which allows customers to pay their bus fare using a reloadable smart card or a smartphone app. Credit and debit cards are not required to use TouchPass; customers can use cash to load the passes to their account at the Greenlink Transit Center.
“The paper punch passes are cumbersome and inefficient, as our drivers must physically “punch” the paper passes with a hole-puncher,” said James Keel, Greenlink’s director of public transportation. “Additionally, because there is no record of how many punches a customer has used, if they lose the paper punch pass, there is nothing we can do to reimburse their purchase.” According to Keel, a benefit of the TouchPass system is that customers who lose their TouchPass card can freeze their accounts and then can transfer their account balances to a new card.
Customers can also enable an auto-load feature to replenish their account whenever it drops below a certain balance. Greenlink customers can download the TouchPass app by searching for “TouchPass Transit” in the iOS or Android app store. Customers preferring the reloadable smartcard can purchase one for $2 at the Greenlink dispatch booth inside the Transit Center. Balances can be loaded onto customer accounts by visiting www.TouchPass.com and paying with a credit or debit card, or by visiting the dispatch booth and purchasing fares using cash or a credit or debit card.