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From Yorkregion.com
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Transit riders face fare hike
Sep 23, 2006
Caroline Grech, Staff Writer
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Cash transit fares will be going up in January after regional councillors approved a hike.
The cash fare will be bumped from $2.50 to $2.75 and will mean $1.4 million in extra revenue for the region.
Student and senior cash fares will remain the same, however passes and tickets will see increases.
For example, a GTA weekly pass will increase from $2.11 to $2.21, student passes will go from $1.36 to $1.48 and seniors and the multipass will see a nine-cent increase.
The hikes will mean more than $2 million in extra revenue.
The increases are three times the inflation rate and are unacceptable, Markham Regional Councillor Jack Heath argued.
"I think that is totally unreasonable when we're trying to encourage getting cars off the road. Take the cash fare to $3," Mr. Heath said, adding advance ticket prices shouldn't be raised because ticket and pass buyers are frequent buyers. "We have to make getting cars off the road a direction of this council."
Vaughan Regional Councillor Joyce Frustaglio voted in favour of the increase, based on making the transit system feasible.
"I guess if we all had our druthers, we would not increase ticket fares or taxes because that is the preference of our residents, but we have a responsibility to ensure it is a viable service for our residents," Ms Frustaglio said.
For Sarah Mason, who works in Newmarket and takes the bus two to three times a month, the change isn't one that worries her.
"It was pretty cheap to begin with compared with GO. It costs me $3.50 there and back on Viva and $10 on GO," Ms Mason said.
Link to article
Transit riders face fare hike
Sep 23, 2006
Caroline Grech, Staff Writer
More from this author
Cash transit fares will be going up in January after regional councillors approved a hike.
The cash fare will be bumped from $2.50 to $2.75 and will mean $1.4 million in extra revenue for the region.
Student and senior cash fares will remain the same, however passes and tickets will see increases.
For example, a GTA weekly pass will increase from $2.11 to $2.21, student passes will go from $1.36 to $1.48 and seniors and the multipass will see a nine-cent increase.
The hikes will mean more than $2 million in extra revenue.
The increases are three times the inflation rate and are unacceptable, Markham Regional Councillor Jack Heath argued.
"I think that is totally unreasonable when we're trying to encourage getting cars off the road. Take the cash fare to $3," Mr. Heath said, adding advance ticket prices shouldn't be raised because ticket and pass buyers are frequent buyers. "We have to make getting cars off the road a direction of this council."
Vaughan Regional Councillor Joyce Frustaglio voted in favour of the increase, based on making the transit system feasible.
"I guess if we all had our druthers, we would not increase ticket fares or taxes because that is the preference of our residents, but we have a responsibility to ensure it is a viable service for our residents," Ms Frustaglio said.
For Sarah Mason, who works in Newmarket and takes the bus two to three times a month, the change isn't one that worries her.
"It was pretty cheap to begin with compared with GO. It costs me $3.50 there and back on Viva and $10 on GO," Ms Mason said.