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No, customers can tap on with their debit card, credit card (Visa, Mastercard) or mobile wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay), pay exact fare in cash on buses, or purchase a ticket from a ticket machine (with cash, credit or debit) to ride the O-Train. A complete list of fares can be found here.

If you are eligible for a discounted fare (example: Seniors, Youth, or Community Pass), you must use a Presto card to pay. If you pay an adult fare only, you can use your debit card, credit card, or mobile wallet.

Read more about reduced fares.
Read more about how to set a discounted fare on your Presto card.
Read more about O-Payment.

• Online at prestocard.ca or by phone at 1‑8‑PRESTO‑123 (1‑877‑378‑6123)
  • It can take up to 7 to 10 business days for your card to ship

• In person at an OC Transpo Customer Service Centre or at:

  • Select ServiceOttawa Client Service Centre locations:
    • City Hall
    • Ben Franklin
  • Ticket machines
  • participating Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations

• Online at prestocard.ca
• Download the official Presto app (Android, Apple) for a simple, easy way to manage and instantly load your card on the go
• In person at participating Shoppers Drug Mart stores, ticket machines, an OC Transpo Customer Service Centre, or at either the City Hall or Ben Franklin ServiceOttawa Client Service Centre 
• By phone at 1-8-PRESTO-123 (1-877-378-6123)

More information on Presto cards.

All O-Train stations, the airport, Algonquin College and some Transitway stations have ticket machines. When entering an O-Train station, ticket machines are located near the fare gates and outside of the fare-paid zone. More information on how to use a ticket machine and their locations.

Yes, as long as you have a monthly pass loaded, or are transferring from an OC Transpo bus to an STO bus.

On your return trip, if you are using funds on your Presto card and your transfer is no longer valid, you will either need to pay cash or use an STO Multi Card on the STO bus.

All fare readers on buses and fare gates at O-Train Line 1 stations now support tap payment by debit card, credit card (Visa, Mastercard) and mobile wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay). 

When you tap your debit card, credit card or mobile wallet, the screen on the fare reader or fare gate will turn green and show "Accepted". You will be charged a regular Adult fare. Tap using the same card or mobile wallet to transfer between trips on buses and the O-Train. You won’t be charged again as long as you are within the regular transfer window.

You will never be charged more than the price of DayPass over the period of one day. Each month, you will not be charged more than the price of an Adult monthly pass. You can track your trips and charges at o-payment.octranspo.com.

Read more about O-Payment.

Children 10 years and under ride at no charge on OC Transpo. You can get a Child card which will allow your child to tap on a bus or through a fare gate.

Read more about how to get a Child card.

Children 11 and 12 must get a Presto card with a pre-teen discount set on the Presto card. A pre-teen discount must be set in advance in person at a Shoppers Drug Mart / Loblaws / Real Canadian Superstore or at the OC Transpo Customer Service Centre at Rideau Centre. Please bring proof of age.

Read more about Pre-teen fares.

A Community Pass discount is offered to the Primary Beneficiary who receive benefits directly from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). More information on the Community Pass.

The EquiPass program offers transit fares for eligible people on a low income. You can purchase a monthly pass or pay-as-you-go for 50% off the cost of adult fares. See if you qualify for an EquiPass.

No, monthly passes are not refundable.

If you have a specific reason, such as medical, as to why your pass cannot be used for a particular month on both OC Transpo and Para Transpo, please call OC Transpo Customer Service at 613-560-5000 to discuss with an agent. Proof will be required, such as a medical note stating that you could not take transit during the full month.

Yes, you can request a refund if your card is registered. There will be a 4% administration fee on the funds and your card must be surrendered. The $4 initial cost of the card is non-refundable.

If you have $50 or less in funds on your card, you can request a refund (less the administration fee) at an OC Transpo Customer Service Centre. If you have over $50 in funds on your card, please mail your card with a refund request form to Presto directly.

If your card is registered, you can transfer your balance to a new card if it gets lost or stolen.

1. Go to prestocard.ca and report your card lost or stolen (it can take up to 24 hours to be blocked on the readers – you are responsible for charges during this period).
2. Purchase a new card at an in-person location (do not load a monthly pass).
3. Go back online to start the transfer to your new card.

You also can order a new card online at prestocard.ca, although it will take 7 to 10 business days to arrive. The new card will cost $4 and will require a minimum load of $0.05 to $5.00.

If your registered Presto card is damaged or defective, bring it to the OC Transpo Customer Service Centre in the Rideau Centre. We will check the card, confirm that it is registered and that you are the registered owner. We will confirm that it is no longer functioning and give you a replacement card at no charge.

You cannot sell your Presto card if:

• It is registered in your name (registration can’t be changed).
• It has a discount set on it.
• If it was issued by a school board.

If you try to sell a card that is not legally allowed to be transferred to another customer, you face a fine of up to $600.

No, if you see a Presto card being sold online through a third party or by another customer, it is not a guaranteed safe purchase: you are likely being scammed, or you are buying a stolen or illegally transferred card.

See Travel tips, a section dedicated to helping riders who use our system for the first time.

My Para Transpo is a new online tool that provides Para Transpo customers the ability to self-serve to book a trip for the next day, cancel a booked trip, track the location of a vehicle for an upcoming trip, and manage their customer profile information. Since December 2020, a working group of customers has been testing the applications to ensure it is ready for launch. Since mid-July 2021 testing has been ongoing by a small group of early adopters, the first version of My Para Transpo is now available to all Para Transpo customers. All functions have been certified for accessibility and meet WCAG 2.0 AA standards.

See more specific My Para Transpo FAQ here.

Buses can arrive late as a result of:

• traffic, detours, road closures and construction
• heavy passenger loads / frequent stops
• delays on a previous trip
• weather
• lack of resources (includes not enough buses available, operators being late or ill)
• Other unplanned factors

When a bus is running late, another bus may be assigned to meet the scheduled departure times on the route. The scheduled trip may be cancelled if another bus cannot be assigned, or, if the next scheduled trip is about to begin.

We try our best to ensure that buses arrive on time. All buses are equipped with GPS, allowing staff to track late, early, or cancelled trips. Data is analyzed regularly. Staff will discuss with Bus Operators about challenges on the route, or adjust schedules and make improvements.

We recommend using the Transit app as your main source of information.

In the app, if a trip is cancelled, the time on your route will be crossed out (For example: 8:30 pm). If a trip is late, it will show the expected time of arrival.

Click here for more information on available transit apps.

For real-time next departure information, use the Next Departures widget on the home page of octranspo.com*, or text 560560 with your bus stop number. You can also call 613-560-1000 with your bus stop number to listen to automated schedule announcements, trip cancellations and next departure times.

*Our travel tools indicate real-time departures on the app, homepage, and on 560560 text massages with an asterisk. When there is no real-time data available for a route, trip, or stop, the travel tools will provide the original scheduled time only.

A bus may be delayed at the start of a line if it was coming from another trip where delays occurred, or it had encountered traffic or construction on its way to start the trip.

A bus can also be delayed at the start of a line due to Operator or bus availability.

We try our best to ensure that buses arrive on time. All buses are equipped with GPS, allowing staff to track late, early, or cancelled trips. Data is analyzed regularly. Staff will discuss with Bus Operators about challenges on the route, or adjust schedules and make improvements.

A trip can be cancelled if a bus experiences significant delays and the next scheduled vehicle is already on its way, or if there are resource issues, such as Bus Operator or vehicle availability. Additional reasons a bus may be cancelled are traffic, construction, and other unplanned factors.

We replace buses where and when we can. Since it takes time for a replacement vehicle to arrive, a cancelled bus will not be replaced if the next scheduled trip has already started on the route.

Rural commuter routes, school routes and infrequent routes are always prioritized to get a replacement bus, as customers on those routes may not have other options available.

We try our best to ensure that buses are not cancelled, or if so, are quickly replaced. All buses are equipped with GPS, allowing staff to track late, early, or cancelled trips. Data is analyzed regularly. Staff will discuss with Bus Operators about challenges on the route, or adjust schedules and make improvements.

OC Transpo reviews and updates routes and schedules four times a year to better meet the needs of our riders and respond to changing conditions. These updates can range from minor adjustments—such as removing school trips during the summer months—to more significant changes that affect routes, schedules, or service levels.

We value your input! If you have feedback about a recent change, we encourage you to share it with us using the feedback form below. Your comments help us improve service planning and better serve our community.

The OC Transpo Planning team considers a variety of factors, including:

• Ridership data and travel patterns
• Customer and operator feedback
• Requests for new or adjusted service

When changes are limited to a few routes, local ward Councillors may be consulted or notified. For broader changes affecting many routes, information is typically shared in advance with Councillors and on octranspo.com.

An O-Train can arrive late if:

• There are medical or mechanic issues at a station, on a train, or on the tracks between stations
• Fire or Police Services have asked that a train be delayed

If the delay is expected to be long, we will post O-Train service disruptions on octranspo.com and on social media as soon as they occur or as soon as they are announced (for example: planned maintenance). We also send alerts to SMS and e-mail subscribers.

Click here to see all alerts or to subscribe.

If O-Train service is down unexpectedly or for planned maintenance, replacement buses will be assigned and follow the general route of the train, stopping at all stations within the closed portion.

OC Transpo will post service disruptions on octranspo.com and on social media as soon as they occur or as soon as they are announced (for example: planned maintenance). We also send alerts to SMS and e-mail subscribers.

If the service disruption is unexpected, it may take some time for replacement buses to reach the start of their routes.

More information on replacement bus service is available at:

• R1 – Line 1 replacement service
• R2 – Line 2 replacement service
• R4 – Line 4 replacement service

No refunds will be given for service issues, which include late or cancelled bus or O-Train service.

"Interlining" means a bus is running on more than one route. Reasons for interlining may be:

• The other route or trip will not take long
• Two routes serve the same area
• One route has a longer time between trips;
• Bus Operator scheduling, breaks and shift changes

OC Transpo planners look at logical routes for a bus to follow and decide if and where interlining is appropriate.

We understand how frustrating it can be to miss your bus, especially when it feels like the operator may have seen you.  We recommend arriving at your stop a few minutes before the scheduled time. Operators are expected to keep to their schedules and may not be able to wait or stop once they’ve begun to depart.

Here’s some helpful context:

• The operator may not have seen you.  While it may appear that the operator saw you, their focus is primarily on the road ahead and the left-side mirror to monitor traffic. Their attention is on driving safely, which means they may not notice someone approaching from the side or behind.
• Once a bus has pulled away from the stop, it’s often not safe to stop again. Sudden braking can pose a risk to passengers already on board and to other road users. Even if the operator does see you, they may not be able to stop safely.

Here are a few tips and steps you can take:

• Flag the Bus Clearly: If your stop is served by multiple routes, be sure to clearly signal the operator that you want their specific bus. This helps them know you're waiting for their route.
• Step Out of the Shelter: If you're waiting inside a shelter, step toward the curb as the bus approaches. This makes it easier for the operator to see you and know you intend to board.

If the bus still misses your stop

• Check the Stop Status: Visit octranspo.com to confirm that the stop is still in service and hasn’t been temporarily relocated or closed.
• Submit Feedback: If the stop is active and the bus still didn’t stop, you can report the incident using our customer Feedback Form or by calling 613-560-5000.

Your feedback will be reviewed and forwarded to the operator’s supervisor. The operator will be reminded or coached as needed to ensure awareness of the stop. For privacy reasons, we cannot share details about any actions taken, and you may not receive a follow-up response. However, please be assured that your concern will be addressed.

In most cases, your feedback will be reviewed and forwarded to the appropriate team, but you will not receive a response unless additional information is needed to follow up on your complaint.

If you have concerns about the conduct or service of a contracted Para Transpo Taxi or Van driver, you have two options for submitting a complaint:

1. File through OC Transpo / Para Transpo:
   You can submit your complaint directly to us, and we will forward it to the contractor for follow-up.
2. Contact the contractor directly:
   You may also report the incident directly to Para Logistics by completing their Driver Incident Form or by calling 613-746-8740 ext. 3111.

Please note: You will not receive a personal response to your complaint. However, all reports are reviewed, and appropriate action may be taken. This can range from coaching or advising the driver to removing them from Para Transpo service.

If you experienced damage or injury involving an OC Transpo bus or property, the O-Train, or a Para Transpo bus, please follow these steps:

• Submit feedback using the OC Transpo Customer Feedback form below. Be sure to note the feedback reference number after submitting the form.
• Contact the City of Ottawa Claims Unit with your feedback number:
  • Email: claims@ottawa.ca
  • Phone: 613-580-2655
  • More information is available on the City of Ottawa Claims Unit website

If the incident involved a contracted Para Transpo taxi or van, we recommend:

• Submitting the OC Transpo feedback form as described above.
• Reporting the incident directly to Para Logistics by:
  • Completing their Driver Incident Form
  • Or calling 613-746-8740 ext. 3111

Yes, OC Transpo buses and O-Trains are accessible. Their low floors allow for easy boarding. We have allocated spaces in each vehicle for customers using assistive or mobility devices.

• More information on accessibility
• Vehicle accessibility features
• Station accessibility features
• Service animals

Yes, bus operators are generally required to follow the same traffic laws as all other drivers. However, there are a few exceptions related to idling and yielding regulations that apply specifically to public transit vehicles:

• Idling By-Laws (City of Ottawa)
  While OC Transpo operators are expected to comply with the City of Ottawa’s general idling by-laws, public transit buses may need to idle longer in certain situations. This includes maintaining onboard systems such as heating and air conditioning for passenger comfort, or to ensure proper vehicle operation during extreme weather conditions.
• Yielding to Bus
  According to the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), drivers must yield to buses that are signaling to re-enter traffic from a bus stop or bus bay. This rule helps improve transit efficiency and keeps buses running on schedule. When a bus signals its intent to merge, drivers in the adjacent lane are required to allow it to do so safely.

Yes, you can file a complaint, and it will be reviewed and investigated.

However, please note that some intersections in Ottawa are equipped with Transit Priority Signals. These signals are designed to give buses a head start or allow them to proceed ahead of regular traffic. They appear as a vertical white bar (often called a “cigar light”) and may activate even when the standard traffic light is red.

For example, on Heron Road eastbound at Bronson Avenue, there is a transit priority signal that allows buses to turn left onto Data Centre Road before other vehicles are permitted to move.

If you're unsure whether what you saw involved a transit signal, you’re still encouraged to report it by submitting feedback below.

Yes, we offer over 9,000 free spaces at Park & Ride lots across Ottawa and nearby rural areas. The following Park & Ride lots require a paid monthly Permit:

• Baseline (before 11 am on weekdays)
• Blair (Telesat) – Gold Permit required
• Jeanne d’Arc
• Ray Friel

See details on park & ride locations and purchasing a permit.

Yes, unlimited Wi-Fi provided by TELUS is available at:

• Tunney’s Pasture
• Bayview
• Pimisi
• Lyon
• Parliament
• Rideau
• uOttawa
• Lees
• Hurdman
• Tremblay
• St-Laurent
• Cyrville
• Blair

For customers using TELUS, TELUS subsidiary brands, or other participating carriers, cellular coverage is available in underground stations and tunnels. More information.

OC Transpo personnel and emergency personnel are trained and equipped to handle all types of emergencies. In an emergency evacuation, staff will assist customers to safely clear from the bus, train, or station after situational conditions and customer needs are considered. 

OC Transpo ensures customers with disabilities can evacuate as quickly, easily and safely as possible. Customers who are unable to leave the vehicle independently will be engaged assisted directly by OC Transpo staff or emergency personnel.

See more information about evacuating from trains, buses, or stations.

For issues with octranspo.com, the Travel Planner or 560 systems:

• Check the Alerts section of our website to see if there are any known outages affecting the Travel Planner, 560560, or 560-1000 systems.
• If no outage is listed, submit feedback using the feedback form below
• Call us at 613-560-5000 for assistance.

If you're experiencing problems with a third-party transit app, please contact the app provider directly through the app’s support or feedback feature.

There are public washrooms located in Bayview, Blair, Hurdman, Limebank and Tunney's Pasture stations. There is also a washroom in the airport terminal connected to Airport Station.

You will find a Happy Goat Café at Blair, Hurdman, and Tunney's Pasture stations.