Delay in Winnipeg Transit smart-card system irks councillor

The long delay in getting Winnipeg Transit'ssmart-card fare system operational is frustrating thechair of thecity's finance committee.

"Are we dragging something out that won't be delivered?" Marty Morantz asked members of the city's administration at a finance committee meeting on Thursday.

Bus riders were originally promised the$17-millionsystem which allows them to tap a pre-loaded card on a reader to pay their fare would rolloutsometimein 2013 or 2014. The system is already in place in many cities, includingToronto, Ottawa, Vancouver andMinneapolis.

• Winnipeg Transit riders forced to wait for new smart-card system
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Winnipeg Transit gave it a test runin June, with 100,000 transactions on more than 340 buses, but anumber of problems were identified. Those bugs are being worked out, WinnipegTransit directorDaveWardrop said.

The system is still on budget and there is a "high level" of confidence the system will work, he said.

A second round of testing starts on somebuses today.