GO Transit riders have suspected for months it was coming, but the signs go up Monday, confirming that monthly GO passes will be discontinued in the new year.

The last loyal pass users will have to convert to the province’s Presto electronic fare card or be faced with buying a single ticket every day, because the last paper passes issued will be for December.

GO discontinued its popular 10-ride and two-ride passes in August.

But transit officials were waiting until a majority of riders converted to the Presto cards before they stopped selling the monthly passes, which commuters have been using for more than 30 years.

There are about 350,000 Presto cards in circulation, although not all of them are used daily on GO buses and trains.

In September, GO sold about 23,000 of the monthly paper passes and those users still represent about 18 per cent of the system’s regular riders. But the number has dropped about 45 per cent this year.

Unlike the monthly passes, which only need to be shown as proof of payment at the request of fare inspectors, Presto cards require riders to load money onto their card and then tap it on an electronic reader before boarding the train or bus.

GO officials maintain that most riders save money using Presto because the trips accumulate until a discount kicks in.