Some SEPTA cards are showing that they’re prematurely expired
Some Senior, SEPTA Access (formerly known as CCT), Reduced Fare, and Student Key cards aren't working properly. SEPTA says these users can still ride as normal.
SEPTA’s holiday present to its lower-resourced riders is here: frustrating delays.
Beginning on New Year’s Day, some people using Senior, SEPTA Access (formerly CCT), Reduced Fare, and Student Key cards have been unable to pay for their rides. These riders were told that their passes were expired, even if they were still supposed to be usable for years.
The problem is caused by a “coding issue” with these specific cards that assigned an incorrect expiration date, according to Andrew Busch, a SEPTA spokesperson.
The majority of riders, who use standard Key cards or other payment methods, are not affected by the problem. It is unclear how many of the Senior, Access, Reduced Fare, and Student cards in circulation are malfunctioning.
But people experiencing the issue should still be able to ride public transportation while SEPTA resolves the issue. SEPTA workers were informed about the problem and have been instructed to let people through who demonstrate that they are using one of the affected Key cards.
“We know it’s a bit of an inconvenience, but we’re doing everything we can out in the field to try to make it as smooth as possible,” Busch said. In a statement, SEPTA apologized for the trouble the issue had caused.
SEPTA is working with the manufacturer of the affected cards on a fix and anticipates resolving the issue within several days. SEPTA may have to issue new cards, according to Busch.