Kids 12 and under ride free on OC Transpo starting Sunday

An OC Transpo bus is seen in this undated image. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

OC Transpo's summer schedule comes into effect next week and with it, five more years of free rides for children.

Starting July 2, children 12 and under will not have to pay to ride on OC Transpo buses, the O-Train, or Para Transpo. Currently, fare are free for kids up to age 7.

Kids 12 and under will be able to board a bus or Para Transpo without paying. To get into an O-Train station, children can accompany a parent or guardian through the wide accessible fare gates or tap a child card or school issued Presto card.

Children under 12 who look older and who regularly ride alone are encouraged to get child cards, which can be obtained for free at the OC Transpo customer service desk in the Rideau Centre.

Presto cards set for child fares will no longer be required, and the family day pass will change to a two-for-one day pass that allows two customers 13 or older to ride all day on a single pass on weekends and statutory holidays.

All OC Transpo fares are free July 1 for Canada Day.

The summer schedule will mark the return of weekend service to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum on Route 25, Petrie Island on Route 139, and the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum on Route 185.

OC Transpo also says select routes will see weekday schedule adjustments that reflect seasonal changes to ridership and improvements to service for customers.

The first Route 38 westbound trips that start at Place d’Orléans Station will be extended to start at Trim Station, seven days a week and Route 88 will have supplemental trips added on weekdays, between Baseline and Hurdman stations, to better reflect ridership levels.

Line 2 bus service and Route 25 will have minor frequency reductions during certain time periods on weekdays.