Public works committee to debate discount bus passes

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This article was published 27/09/2019 (2359 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If Winnipeg introduces discounted bus passes for low-income residents, transit ridership is projected to increase by nearly 38 per cent over the next four years, according to a new report to be debated at a city committee meeting next week.

Starting in April, discounted monthly bus passes could be available for Winnipeggers who live on social assistance, make less than $25,338 a year (in a single-person household) or who are newcomers who’ve been in Canada less than a year.

The City of Winnipeg administrative report pitches a proposed low-income transit pass program that would include phased-in discounts. Those who are eligible would get a 30 per cent discount on full-fare bus passes starting in April 2020, a 40 per cent discount in 2021, and a 50 per cent discount from 2022 on. When the program is fully implemented, users would pay about $50 for a monthly bus pass.

Before it can go ahead, the program has to be approved by the city’s public works committee.

Members are set to debate it at an Oct. 1 meeting. Council already approved a recommendation to look at a low-income bus pass in the city’s 2019-21 budget.

Even with a 50 per cent-off discount, many Winnipeggers still won’t be able to afford to take the bus regularly, said Debby Sillito, a transit user and advocate at the Low Income Intermediary Project.

“It’s not going to be enough,” she said. “When you think of a person (on Employment and Income Assistance) that is single, that’s half their food budget.”

She wants to see Transit bring in a sliding scale payment system for users, and said she has previously contacted Mayor Brian Bowman about it. (When he was running for re-election last year, Bowman promised to bring in a low-income bus pass.)

Although the plan has yet to be approved, city administration has looked into the anticipated effects of the program.

It expects the discounted bus passes will result in a $3-million spike in Transit operating costs by 2024, and will require seven new full-time staff to administer the program. Transit ridership is projected to increase from 29,500 monthly passes sold in 2020, to 78,000 passes sold by 2024.

Coun. Matt Allard, chairman of the public works committee, said he plans to vote in favour of the plan.

“I want to see Transit ridership increase throughout the city,” he said. “I know that in some cases, people are choosing to not ride the bus because they can’t afford it.”

He also hopes the less expensive pass could help reduce fare disputes between bus drivers and passengers. Allard acknowledged not everyone would be able to afford the low-income pass, but he said it’s a step in the right direction.

“When the program was originally pitched, I think the price tag was much higher than the price tag we’re being presented with today,” he said.

“If it turns out that the uptake is not what was expected, I think certainly there would be an argument to look at deepening the discount in the future, but I think we need to start somewhere.”

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay

Bus pass report