BSOOB rolls out electronic fare system

SACO –  No more digging through your pocket and holding up lines while trying to scrounge up enough cash to ride the bus. The Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach transit fare system is going digital, beginning Oct. 1.

Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach transit, or BSOOB, provides daily bus service between Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough and Portland.  

BSOOB will begin on Thursday using the DiriGo TouchPass electronic fare payment system. Under this system, riders pay their fare by holding up a credit card sized “smart card” or mobile app to a scanner as they board a bus.

The Dirigo TouchPass card can also be used to pay fares for buses operating through the Greater Portland METRO and South Portland Bus. Riders put money on their account through the app, or at any of the three bus offices or at a CVS store.

“Contactless fare payments made via mobile phone application or stored value smartcard will make the passenger experience safer and more efficient,” said BSOOB Executive Director Tony Scavuzzo. 

Frequent riders who meet a designated level of ridership within a calendar month will get free rides for the rest of the month through fare capping.

Seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and children 6 to 18-years-old can receive reduced rates that will be applied to DiriGo accounts after an application process.

If a rider’s DiriGo account falls down to $5, the scanner on the bus will signal a yellow light, instead of the typical green, said BSOOB Director of External Affairs Craig Pendleton. If there is no money on the rider’s account, the light will signal red and the rider will not be able to board the bus using their account.

“It’s a very transparent system,” said Pendleton. He said the new payment plan has been thoroughly vetted, and riders should find it easy to use.

University of New England is transitioning its ID cards so they can be used as TouchPass cards, said Pendleton.

Riders must have a minimum of $5 on their DiriGo account and may have up to $200. Customers can sign up for an automatic pay system that will transfer money to their DiriGo account when it gets low.

Opening an account and getting a smart card is free, and those who sign up this year will get a bonus of two free rides. A replacement smart card will cost $5.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at [email protected].