OCTA acknowledges WAVE app outage as riders report issues accessing digital bus passes
The technical disruption has left some Orange County bus riders, including college students, unable to access their digital fare cards.
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has acknowledged technical issues affecting its WAVE mobile app and digital fare cards after riders reported being unexpectedly logged out and unable to access their bus passes Thursday afternoon.
Reports of the disruption began around 2:00 p.m., when riders attempting to board buses discovered they had been logged out of the WAVE app. Some users attempting to sign back in were prompted to reset their passwords, while others who remained logged in reported that their digital fare cards failed to load.
The outage has particularly affected college students who rely on digital transit passes to travel to and from campus, raising concerns about their ability to board buses during the disruption.
In a statement posted to social media, OCTA acknowledged the ongoing technical difficulties, writing:
“WAVE cards and the mobile app are experiencing technical issues. We're working to resolve it as soon as possible.”
The agency has not provided an estimated timeline for restoring service or disclosed what caused the technical problems.
It also remains unclear how widespread the outage is, whether all WAVE app users are affected, or what accommodations are available for passengers unable to display their digital fare cards when boarding.
We have reached out to OCTA for additional information regarding the disruption, including its cause, the number of riders affected, and whether alternative boarding arrangements are being offered.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
