Free bus rides for Valley passengers?

A software glitch on Valley Metro buses will allow some riders to reach their destinations for free Monday.

New software downloaded onto buses today has caused fare boxes to reject passes or prevent riders from purchasing passes onboard, Phoenix Public Transit Department spokeswoman Marie Chapple said.

The glitch affects passengers Valleywide, not just in Phoenix, but shouldn’t disrupt service, Chapple said.

The software problems won’t affect passengers taking one-way rides and paying by cash. It is unclear how many riders and buses will be affected, Chapple said, but the software is being reloaded today and things should be back to normal Tuesday.

The new software was necessary to update busses on recent changes to service that added new stops or eliminated routes due to budget cuts, Chapple said.

A one-way bus ride is $1.75. All-day passes are $5.25 when riders purchase it onboard the bus or $3.50 when purchased at certain retail stores.

--Lynh Bui, lynh.bui@arizonarepublic.com