Youth bus fare back to $2 - unless you buy a pass

Hey kids?

Yeah, all of you who've been ripping off the bus drivers by popping nickels and dimes into the fare box when all they were asking was a special "Year of the Youth" fare of 25 cents? City Council last night agreed to jack your youth bus fares back to $2 on January 2, 2009.

The only good news from last night's City Council meeting is that Sault youth can still take the bus for a very reduced rate if you choose to buy a $10 monthly pass instead of paying cash.

The quarter-a-ride Year of the Youth fare was never intended to be permanent.

But it did manage to increase transit ridership by nine percent over last year, says Sault Transit Manager Don Scott.

But cash revenue has shown a decrease of $75,000.

"We can't depend on the provincial gas tax funding being there all the time," Scott said.

Ward 4 Councillor Lorena Tridico asked Scott wheher the City had considered making the cost $1 for youth and seniors.

"In most communities discounts are found in passes but the cash fare remains fairly firm," he told her. "It is our responsibility to recommend that we maintain our available revenues to te best of our ability."

Scott also commented that the reduced fare youth pilot project had some negative impact on daily operations.

"Throughout the course of the pilot project, our operators have reported numerous incidents of overcrowding and non-payment of fares - usually when school is let out around the 3:10 p.m.," he reported. "At times some of the youth would pay a nickel, others a dime, others nothing at all. The use of transfers was also badly abused as some youth would use the transfers whenever they wanted as some of the operators were unable to monitor the transfers of twenty and thirty riders boarding the bus all at once."

Starting January 2, youth monthly passes will still be $10 and usable any time the buses are running, but cash fare at the box will be $2 for both youth and adults.

Scott reports this is one of the lowest fares in the province.