Just thinks how many 10's of million $$ can be save yearly by having free transit.
You don't have to worry about the system getting hack.
You will have no need to buy equipment to issue fare value, collect the fare, data base to determined how much money to charge, fare enforcers, computer operators, software developers and the list goes on. Then you have the people that have to go around collecting the money, delivery what every, accountants to audit the money and what every.
The only software you will need is GPS and counters. You will still need some computer operators to maintain the info, but at a fraction of what it cost today, let alone what been plan.
If you really want people to get out of their vehicles, you are going to needs something else beside more service.
Free transit or a flat fare for the whole region is the way to go.
Otherwise, it going to cost more to try to cover the over lapping of systems. IE GO and TTC. There is a need to be able to transfer freely between TTC and GO in the 416 and the same thing needs to happen in the 905.
Riders will not have to worry if they got the right change or card.
At the same time, loading of vehicles will be a lot faster than having the Presto card which will improve service.
Again, not everyone is going to the same place ie Toronto Core.
You tell someone that lives at Brownline and Evan Ave who wants to go to the Metro Zoo that they will have more money to use TTC than it does today because of the fare by distance would be greater than the flat fare currently in place by TTC, they will say stuff it and drive especially its a family. If they don't have a car, it will be sorry kids.