Transit group says city’s TTC discount program doesn’t go far enough
Posted July 27, 2023 3:27 pm.
Last Updated July 27, 2023 3:46 pm.
A transit riders group says the expansion of the city’s TTC discount program doesn’t do enough to cover everyone under the poverty line.
The City of Toronto announced changes Thursday to the Fair Pass Transit Discount Program which it says will make an additional 50,000 low-income residents eligible for the benefit which provides immediate financial help with their transit costs.
Under the new criteria, anyone between the ages of 20 and 64 living in deep poverty, such as low-wage and part-time workers, newcomers and unemployed individuals receiving employment assistance are now eligible along with anyone who is on the waitlist for subsidized housing and child care.
According to the City, a single individual with an after-tax income below $20,514 or a family of four with an income below $41,028 would be eligible for the 12-month discount on TTC travel, which also includes Wheel-Trans.
Currently, the program provides a 36 per cent discount on single adult fares and a 21 per cent discount on monthly passes by adding a discount code to the rider’s PRESTO card.
Advocacy group TTCRiders says the changes announced by the City will not cover everyone under the poverty line and that the discounted rate of $2.10 for single fares and $123.25 for monthly passes is still unaffordable.
“Instead of fully funding the Fair Pass program years ago, former Mayor Tory paid for today’s discount expansion through the 2023 TTC operating budget, which increased the cost of youth and adult single fares,” the group said in a statement.
“Increasing costs for some low-income transit users to fund a tiny discount expansion for others is wrong and unfair. People who rely on transit the most and now pay higher fares are mostly shift workers, women, and low-income and racialized riders.”
TTCRiders says if the program were fully funded as many as 200,000 residents would be eligible for the discount. It’s also calling on city council to take steps to expand free transit for “people who need it the most and on extreme weather alert days.”
