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TTC says in-station sales of tickets, tokens and passes to end Nov. 30

A machine that dispenses TTC tokens is pictured inside a subway station.

The Toronto Transit Commission says it will stop selling tickets, tokens and day passes from all of its stations by the end of November, something it originally promised to do in 2017.

The TTC says tickets and tokens will still be on sale at some third-party retailers and it has not yet set a date when the legacy fare media will no longer be accepted.

But they do say that when that date comes, commuters will not be able to exchange their remaining tickets and tokens for refunds.

The move to stop sales in transit stations comes as part of a lengthy process to push all transit users onto the PRESTO electronic fare card system.

The TTC now produces temporary paper tickets and day passes that incorporate the PRESTO fare transmission system for users who have not purchased a permanent card of their own.

The PRESTO system, run by provincial transit agency Metrolinx, has been the source of considerable frustration for the TTC, with a city audit finding that nearly $3.4 million in fare revenue was lost due to faulty card readers aboard trains and in stations in 2018.

The audit also found that the program of offering “child” PRESTO cards to those under 12 was being misused by dozens of adults hoping to take advantage of the fact that they ride free.