Oakville Transit is making its services more convenient and affordable for families. Starting Monday, March 1, OT is offering fare-free travel for children 12 years of age or younger.

According to a Town of Oakville news release, “This pilot program aims to promote a healthier and more engaged community. The program provides additional value to residents when travelling by transit by eliminating financial barriers for residents wishing to travel with children and creating a seamless travel experience.”

OT drivers may ask you to provide proof of age for any of the concession categories (child, youth, senior) before you board. Oakville Transit encourages you to obtain a PRESTO card and tap when you board. This helps to identify the correct concession each passenger. When a child uses the PRESTO card, the PRESTO system records the as a $0 fare.

Here’s how the free rides for kids work when you transfer between Oakville Transit and another local transit system:

their fare policies, but here are some examples for local connections:

• Oakville Transit to Burlington Transit: no fares required for children 12 and younger.
• Burlington Transit to Oakville Transit: no fares required for children 12 and younger.
• Oakville Transit to MiWay: A fare will be required when boarding the MiWay bus. Transfers will not be issued to children 12 and younger.
• MiWay to Oakville Transit: A fare is required on MiWay, and the child may transfer onto Oakville Transit with a free transfer.
• Oakville Transit and GO Transit: no fares required for children 12 and younger.
• GO Transit to Oakville Transit: no fares required for children 12 and younger.

Oakville Transit is piloting this program until December 31, 2022 to allow staff to accumulate and analyze sufficient post-pandemic data to inform a 2023 budget decision. This will also provide time to assess the experience of the other transit agencies with similar programs.

Town staff will report back to Council in December of 2022 on the program results.