TTC introducing subway-like chime on some buses

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is rolling out new technologies in hopes of making the transit system more accessible to all customers.

On new hybrid-electric buses, there will be a subway-style rear-door exit chime which helps customers who experience low vision with an audible clue that the doors are going to close.

This is expected to go into effect this month as the TTC transitions to a zero-emissions fleet. After testing its effectiveness and performance, it will become a standard feature on all future vehicles.

“Having that additional chime will give them a sense, a better sense of timing for their exit,” said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green.

“You can imagine that if you have vision impairment, you don’t know when the doors are closing without that audible chime, and that’s what they were for on the subway system originally.

“So, it’s really just giving people more comfort when they’re riding the system based on their needs,” he added.

“We’re trying to serve and make sure that everybody has access to transit and barrier-free access to transit. There’s probably a minimal cost, but it’s being built into the buses, so they’ll just automatically be part of the new bus fleet as it arrives.”

The other pilot project is an elevator app at select subway stations that allows customers to control the elevations contactless.

The app uses Bluetooth technology, so customers don’t need to be connected to Wi-Fi or a data network to use the app.