Electric ‘on-demand’ public transit launches in Brampton

There’s a new “on-demand” public transit system now online in Brampton with a fleet of electric vehicles that you can request and pay for with your Presto card.

The service is called Argo, and gives Brampton Transit users a new way to get from point A to point B in downtown Brampton.

Argo uses a “Smart Routing” system and accessible electric Argo X1 buses, letting users request rides at a nearby “Smart Stop” with the Argo smartphone app and travel directly to their desired destination.

“Using the simple Argo Transit app, the service connects you with fully electric Argo vehicles near your door for a standard PRESTO fare, with connections to Brampton Transit and GO Transit lines,” Argo says.

Argo rides cost the same as a regular Brampton Transit trip. Fare payments on Argo vehicles can be made with a Presto card, but cash and paper tickets will not be accepted. All other forms of Brampton Transit fares are valid, including transfers, the city says.

 

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The year-long pilot project was announced in April and launched on Wednesday in Brampton, with a service area from Steeles Avenue to Vodden Street north to south, and from Rutherford Road to McLaughlin Road east to west.

Argo has already launched in Bradford West Gwillimbury, calling its service “the world’s first fully intelligent, electrified transit system.”

The company signed a $10.9 million deal with the city to operate through to late 2026.

For more information on Argo or to download the app, visit www.rideargo.com.

Despite lower transit use numbers in other cities, Brampton’s public transit system has seen a ridership spike of approximately 40 per cent since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city has set its sights on modernizing its transit fleet, with a goal of becoming Canada’s first major city with a fully electric bus fleet. Ottawa has pledged over $100 million in funding to keep Brampton Transit running and pay for upgrades over the next decade.