Taxis and TTC are the two major modes of public transport in Toronto. You may call for a taxi by telephone numbers or wave them to stop to pick you up. TTC is much more economical than a taxi. A time table displayed on the bus stop gives an idea about when the next bus is due.
Tip : Developing skills in using East, West, South and North in your day-to-day language helps to be more Canadian. Oh yeah !!
There are several companies which has a number of taxis operating under them. The name of company is displayed on the taxi, and the corporate colour is reflected in taxi colour. You might find taxis waiting for a call at every major intersection. When you need a taxi, just dial the number of taxi service. They will ask you your phone number, location where you are and where you want to go. They tell you how much time you will need to wait for the taxi. After receiving your call, an announcement is made to all the taxis about location to pick up. A taxi driver responds to the taxi service that he is nearest to you and will reach you soon. This driver is then informed about your exact location and your phone number via pager or a radio. When you use taxi service often, your phone number and home address is maintained on the computer of the taxi service. They use this information to reach you quickly.
A taxi is equipped with security features. There is a camera, which takes picture of the passengers. Then there is radio working continuously keeping in touch with the company. The back of the front seat has a list of standards for a taxi service and the rate at which fare will be calculated. The standards include taxi driver not talking to you if you do not wish, cleanliness of the taxi, and driver being able to understand English and knowing major roads.
The taxi fares used to be 25 cents for 0.235 kilometers and if the taxi waited at stop light or waits for you, every 38 seconds added up the fare of 25 cents. I found it easy to calculate fare by minutes. If you travel for 10 minutes, you can expect the fare to be more than 10 dollars. A dollar per minute used to be an approximate calculation. You can pay taxi fare even by credit cards. When you pay the taxi fare, you can ask the cab operator to print a receipt for you.
The Toronto Transit Co is the public transport system of Toronto. It is made up of subway, buses, street cars and rapid transport system. TTC service is more than 80 years old. This means, three generations have seen it on the roads. I find traveling on TTC system a lot comfortable. I have traveled on TTC subway, street car (i.e. tram), bus and rapid transit. Rapid Transit is a small train. To ride on the bus, you show your monthly pass to the driver and get into the bus.
There are several types of fares. Child under 24 months is free. Child fare applies to a child between 2 yrs to 12 yrs. A teenager from 13 years to 19 years can get a student discount card. A student discount card can be used to pay student fare. Senior fare applies to a person over 65 years.
| Fare Type | Adult | Child | Student or Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Ten tickets Day Pass Weekly Pass GTA Pass Monthly Pass |
2.50 20.00 8.00 30.00 41.25 98.75 |
0.60 4.50 |
1.70 13.25 8.00 23.75 41.25 83.25 |
One ticket allows you to travel from point A to point B. It can be a minimum from one bus stop to the next bus stop. It can also be an hour long travel. Basically, with one ticket you can flow only once from one point to another point of Toronto using the available transport system viz., bus, street car, subway or rapid transit. You have to keep in mind that your travel is in one direction. This direction can be a) east and north, b) east and south, c) just eastwards, d) west and north, e) west and south, f) just westwards, g) just northwards and h) just southwards. You can travel on TTC as long as TTC covers your path. If you want to travel for just three bus stops, you still use the same ticket.
For example, if you are at intersection of Keele and Sheppard. And you want to go to Union subway. The first transport you will take is a bus going towards Downsview subway (direction : East). Then from there, you take a subway train (direction : South). While getting on the bus at Keele and Sheppard, you make a payment to the driver. This payment will allow you to go upto Union subway.
When you use a day pass, you can travel as many times as you want for the day. The day pass is meant to be used for only one day. If you need to travel more than four times on a given day, you might find day pass as a convenient choice. The day pass is transferable. The validity for a day pass is mentioned on the back of the pass.
The day on which you plan to use the day pass, you have to make sure that you write the date on the day pass. You also have to scratch out the month and date on the pass. This makes the day pass usable only for that day.
Two adults and four children can travel using a single day pass on Saturdays, Sundays and specified holidays. These holidays are announced by TTC in advance. These announcements appear on newspapers and on the brochures hanging on the TTC bus.
A weekly pass allows you to travel as many times as you wish for the whole week. You can travel on all the modes of transport provided by TTC, i.e. bus, subway, rapid transit and street car. You can travel on all the routes. There are two types of weekly passes. One is for TTC only and another is GTA pass. The GTA pass allows to travel across transits in the GTA. For example, you can travel from Richmond Hill to Toronto and Toronto to Mississauga. The weekly passes are transferable. For example, when mom comes home from shopping, she can give the pass to daughter. Then she can go out with the pass. Two people can not travel together on one pass.
When you use a monthly pass, you can travel as many times as you wish for the whole month. Just like weekly pass, the monthly pass is also transferable. The monthly pass allows you to park your vehicle in the parking lots at some subway stations. The monthly passes are valid from the first day of the month till the last day of the month. They are on sale from 24th day of the previous month. For example, you can buy metro pass for November on October 27th. You can not buy the pass for November on October 15th.
To relate with previous experience, when I compare monthly pass of Mumbai local trains, I find that in Mumbai, you can buy a monthly or quarterly pass from a given station to another station. The pass is valid from the date of purchase for a period of 30 days. There is a restriction on ending point of travel. You can not travel beyond the stations mentioned in your pass.
Well, there is no need to get nervous. Have faith in yourself and simply ask the TTC drivers about guidance. They are quite helpful in directing. Just make sure that you are not bothering them when they have to be most attentive. Moreover, most of the shades near bus stop have a transit map posted on the wall. I am sure, you will have pleasant experience in general.
The bus stops are marked with a red-white-red pole. A blue strip indicates 24 hours bus route. A shade nearby is also an indicator of a bus stop. Every busy road has a TTC bus plying there. In general, only one bus route is assigned per road. You must know which direction you wish to travel. TTC operators are helpful, if you mention your destination to them. When you want to change your direction, you have to get down at an intersection and take the bus that plies on the intersecting road. Again, you need to know the direction you want to take. It is important to carry TTC map with you if you are not sure about your movement.
Writing down what path you will take and which bus route number or subway will be needed reduces anxiety till you get familiar with the transit system. If you don't carry a map, then you need a sense of direction as to which direction you would want to go. For example, you come out on the street and use your sense of direction to decide whether you want to go on left or right for your destination. Take the bus going in that direction to a major intersection. After getting down from the bus at the intersection again take a decision whether you want to go left or right. Take the bus accordingly. If you are not sure, ask the bus operator or passengers around before boarding the bus. Once you know the names of the roads which intersect the road you want to take, you can move around without a map without the fear of getting lost. On the train station, you will find a map posted on the wall near stairs or escalators.
There are special buses plying from subway station to take care of rush hours. The special bus can be a special route or a "Rocket". The "Rocket" buses stop only at major intersections. The buses on special route ply only for specific hours.
Tip : To build up "Canadian Experience" before landing in Toronto, visit TTC website and get a fair idea about various subway stations and their directions. Use your own techniques to memorize the names (and pronunciations) of subway stations and names of roads. More names you memorize, more familiar you will be with Toronto in less time.
Sorry, Sir, we don't have washrooms on every subway. Only a few key subway stations caters the need of a washroom. The stations with washroom facilities are marked on the map. Finch, Sheppard, Eglinton, Union, Bloor, Wilson and Downsview subway on Yonge and Spadina line, Kennedy, Warden, Yonge and Kipling on Bloor line and Yonge and Don Mills on Sheppard line has washrooms. You will surely be able to find a washroom in the nearest shopping mall or a chain store. There are shopping malls above the subway station at some places like Queen on Yonge line, Sheppard on Spadina Line and Bayview on Sheppard line.