Grace Period for PAT Card Problems Ends April 1

Panther Central is reminding Pitt faculty, staff, and students who use the Port Authority Transit (PAT) that the grace period for card-reading problems on PAT vehicles ends April 1. After that date, any commuter whose Pitt ID does not work on a PAT bus or trolley will have to pay full fare.

Panther Central “hopes to resolve any problems that Pitt commuters have with the new technology before the April 1 deadline, to help commuters avoid the inconvenience and embarrassment of having their ID denied,” said John Fedele, a Pitt spokesperson.

Any commuter who experiences a problem with his or her Pitt ID on PAT vehicles should collect the following information and bring it, along with the Pitt ID, to Panther Central’s offices in Litchfield Towers:

• The rider’s name, phone number, and Pitt ID number (located on the back of the ID above the magnetic strip);

• The four-digit bus number, located on the back and sides of the bus;

• The date and time of the occurrence;

• The route number, and whether the bus was going inbound or outbound;

• The bus stop location, or nearest cross streets; and

• The error message on the electronic fare box.