Grand River Transit raises bus fares on July 1st

Starting Friday, July 1, it will cost transit riders more money to ride the bus; Grand River Transit is increasing fares almost entirely across the board, which includesthe costof cash fares, tickets, andbus passes.

Cashfareswill rise from $3.00 to $3.25, and adult monthly passes, which were previously$79.00, will now cost $82.00.

JohnCicuttin, manager of transit development, acknowledgedthe new cash fare could be inconvenient, as customers will have to pay for theirtrip with a minimum of three coins now, instead of just aloonieand atwoonie.

"However, we are going to be implementing a new electronic fare management system,"Cicuttinsaid, which willallow customers to load money onto a smartcard, to be deducted each time itis used.

Cicuttinsaid GRT hopes to getas many riders as possible using smart cards to pay for their ride, so that fumbling for change will soon be a thing of the past.

He said the GRT hopes to beginning testing the smart cards this fall.

More than an inconvenience

The smart cards may be a solution to carrying extra coins, but for some people, the increased fares are more than an inconvenience saidTrudyBeaulne, executive director of the Social Development Centre Waterloo Region.

A twenty-five cent increase may not seem like a lot, butit can be a burden for people on social assistance, peoplewho make minimum wage at part time jobs, or have no income at all, saidBeaulne.

"A few years ago we looked at what it costs to live and what you could do if you were living on the social assistance level and I remember quite clearly, we came down to having a very very small ration for bus tickets," she said.

"I think you could be allowed four bus tickets per month."

Reduced income tickets won't increase

Theprice ofGRT'sTransit for Reduced Income Program pass will not change, butBeaulnesaid not everyone qualifies for this program.

"I have heard from people with limited incomes, who do not qualify or are on a waiting list for the low income program, and they have had to stop using the bus," she said.

She said these people either have to ration their bus tickets, walk or use a bicycle year-round.

"If you have any kind of health or physical challenge that just adds to it,"Beaulnesaid.

Cicuttinsaid the GRT has been increasing bus fares annually since 2012, in an effort to sustain ongoing service improvements and to keep up with inflation of operating costs.