Transit Commission sticks to EquiPass price amid calls for lower fare

Ottawa's transit commission has approved a half billion dollars in spending for OC Transpo and Para Transpo in 2017, which includes a new monthly pass for people on low incomes, priced at $57.

The newEquiPass aimed to help approximately 8,800 Ottawa residents who live at or below the low-income cutoff is anticipated to cost the city $2.7 million annually.

Coun. Stephen Blais, who chairs the commission,thanked the Healthy Transportation Coalition and City for All Women Initiative, two community groups thathad lobbied for such a pass, but he acknowledged the city could not drop the price to $41.75, as they wanted.

• Ottawa budget has good news, bad news for anti-poverty advocates
• Ottawa to introduce low-income transit pass, but offers few details

The groups also wanted OC Transpo to offer a reduced fare forsingle rides.

The draft budget for2017 doesn't provide for that, but it does do away with a top-up that community pass holders were having to pay when they ride Para Transpo.

Ontario Works, ODSP recipients eligible for different prices

Former citycouncillorAlex Cullen was one of a dozen residents to present at the commission's meeting on Dec. 5.

He urged themto bring the low-income pass in line with the community pass,which isoffered to people who receive Ontario disability support.

Cullen, who spoke on behalf of the Federation of Citizens' Associations,said it made no sense forOC Transpo to offer two different reduced rates for monthly bus passes so that people on welfare pay $16 more for their pass than people who receive disability payments.

"If the goal is to make public transit accessible to people living at or below the Ottawa LICO (low-income cutoff), then the EquiPassshould be set at the community bus pass rate. Eventhen it's going to be a struggle for those folks," said Cullen.

People who already receive a subsidy for transportation from theOntario government, in addition to their Ontario Workscheques,will be ineligible for thenewEquiPassaltogether.

Ontario could help lower price: councillors

"I think, at this point in time, yes we have hit the right price point, within the parameters and the resources that the city has to work with," said Coun. KeithEgli.

Councillors Egli andBlaisencouraged residents topressure the Ontario governmentto put money toward the city's new low-income transit pass, which will be offered starting in April 2017.

"If they can come to the table in the same way that the government of Albertacame to the table for Calgary, then I think we can do some very good things with respect to the EquiPassand a single-fare option potentially as well," said Blais.

Para Transpo bookings, high school pass costs also concerns

Residents also raised concerns at the transit commission meetingabout diminishingtransit service in Blackburn Hamlet.

A couple of Para Transpo users, meanwhile, describedunusually long wait times for phone bookings. OC Transpo said it is hiring new employees to replace a number of people who left at the same time, which caused the long waits.

The Ottawa School Transportation Authority,whichbuys monthly passes for thousands of high school students,also raised concerns about the price oftransit passes increasing in January rather than July, which had been typical in the past.

That will cost the association$198,000, an amount it had not budgeted for, said Vicky Kyriaco with the Ottawa School Transportation Authority .

The transit commission's draft budget goes to full city council for a final vote on Dec. 14.