the budget is no kinder to seniors, who will be tagged an extra 30 cents per journey, a 10-per-cent jump, with single-ride fares expected to rise from $2.90 to $3.20.
and those purchasing monthly seniors’ passes will be even harder hit, with a proposed hike that more than doubles the cost — from $49 to $108.
raising fares before providing reliable service isn’t going to increase ridership among these groups.
sutcliffe said that this “adjustment” to fare discounts was made to “bring them in line with those in other cities.” but, if being in line with other cities is so important, why are ottawa’s regular transit fares already higher than those in toronto, montreal, calgary, edmonton and vancouver, a gap that will only further widen if these increases come to pass?
sutcliffe has also swatted away suggestions that the city raise taxes higher, as toronto and other municipalities have recently done.
the mayor has other options.
a 200+ page report released this year, titled “
this is the end of the line: reconstructing transit operating funding in canada,” looked at public transit in eight canadian cities, including ottawa, and recommended solutions to help ease the trials of each. for ottawa, it suggested a vehicle levy, whereby an extra fee is charged by the province on vehicle registration and renewal, then directed to the city. this would not only encourage public transit use and active transportation, but also help the city reach its green goals.