Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Department of Human Services Office of Health and Human Services

Bus Passes

A rider getting on a RIPTA bus.

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) offers a special Reduced Fare Bus Pass Program that allows qualifying low-income seniors (age 65 or over) and low-income persons with disabilities to travel free for two years. Participants in this no fare program are issued a “Valid All Day” photo identification card that they use to board the bus.

RI Works (RIW) recipients receive the new RIPTA Wave cards, which replaced monthly paper bus passes that used to be given. 

Wave cards are hard, rechargeable cards used by all RIPTA customers. Like your EBT card, you keep it so it can be reloaded in a future month. It is plastic and embedded with a computer chip that keeps track of the value of the card. RIW recipients will be able to have one Wave card per eligible person, and those cards will be “recharged” monthly by calling MTM.

When you call MTM, tell them if you already have a Wave card and be prepared to provide your family’s Wave card numbers. Telling MTM of your current card will prevent you from receiving multiple Wave cards for each eligible household member.

Participants will still call MTM at 1-855-330-9131 to have the card recharged monthly and your Wave card(s) will be recharged via the phone call.

For more information about the Wave cards visit: https://wave.ripta.com/