Morgan Freeman will soon voice announcements on Metro Vancouver public transit.
The actor, known for his smooth narration on film and in many TV commercials, will make announcements on six buses and at select SkyTrain stations until July 29, as well as over the PA system at the end of BC Lions home games on June 8, 16 and July 14.
He will not be mentioning stops, but rather saying things about transit etiquette as well as fun facts.
It’s part of TransLink’s new campaign to promote its Tap and Pay system, in effect Tuesday, which allows anyone transit users to tap and pay with their credit card, not just their Compass Card.
TransLink unveiled the plan back in March, with CEO Kevin Desmond saying staff wanted to avoid long waits at ticket machines during the tourist season.
Transit users will be able to pay their fare with Visa or Mastercard that offer the “tap” feature or mobile wallet.
The move comes three years after the introduction of Compass Cards that replaced the previous ticket-only system.
TransLink is warning customers to tap just their card, and not their wallet, to avoid “card clash” and to make sure that only the right card gets dinged.
Even though the wrong card might get charged, the transit agency said the system still won’t charge multiple cards simultaneously.
