McGuinty proposes money-back guarantee for delayed GO riders

GTA commuters got a welcome pledge from Premier Dalton McGuinty on Tuesday.

Speaking at a United Way fundraiser in Markham, McGuinty said GO Transit should refund fares if trains are more than 20 minutes late.

“You make me a promise that you’ll be here on time, to pick me up on time and I expect that,” said one GO rider.

The premier likened the proposed plan to the money-back guarantee offered when delivering government documents such as a birth certificate.

“What we discovered with other service guarantees that we put in place is that as soon as you put a service guarantee in there, all the people who are responsible for delivering — they find a way to deliver,” McGuinty said.

He estimates the guarantee would cost GO Transit between $6 million and $7 million a year.

Metrolinx, a governmental agency that manages road and public transportation in the GTA, owns 61 per cent of the rail corridors on which GO Trains run.

“To be clear, our objective is not to refund money, our objective is to have on-time performance. What our customers want is not a refund, they want to get to their destination, whether that’s the office or home, on time,” said President and CEO of Metrolinx, Bruce McCuaig.

GO Transit says only one per cent of its vehicles is more than 20 minutes late. GO transports 57 million passengers every year.

With files from The Canadian Press

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