 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Susan Ruttan, Edmonton Journal
# d& w9 o8 H! q6 t+ p x# WPublished: Friday, March 30, 2007
# o1 R6 q9 L6 I4 @* K+ C$ x# t' K5 s* ^0 n
The cost of a monthly transit pass could jump by $15 if city council endorses a proposed new transit fare policy.; \1 J9 g. x* M
6 Q( f$ o( ~4 {# {! h/ c
That policy would use the cost of an adult transit ticket, currently $2.50, to set all other fares charged by Edmonton Transit.
$ l8 z3 M) _* n' `1 {4 p, H5 s! L
It would end the random system of fare increases being approved each year by city council. Council in December voted to raise the adult ticket by 25 cents, but left the $59 monthly adult pass untouched.; N' w& N; q* Z
6 Z2 ]! n$ z3 [8 V
In the new formula, any increase in the adult cash fare would trigger increases in all other fares.
7 x5 h' D- ^# Z: j/ Y' V7 Q0 |" i" M' n' B `+ O
It’s proposed that the adult monthly pass would cost 55 per cent of the cost of a cash fare, assuming an average transit rider takes 54 trips a month. That works out to $74, about the same price as a monthly pass in St. Albert, Strathcona County and Calgary.- M5 M Z5 a' w- [8 e
0 A( K; w; v/ M- @; t
“Currently our cash fares and month passes are priced below comparable organizations,” said Patricia Waisman, director of business development for Edmonton Transit.
/ [, d% `& D0 Z" E' W1 W, H% c, }* ?! ^( v5 \, _$ |
The new system of all fares being based on the basic fare would help to correct that, she said.9 `" H4 M' P& W! L6 \
; k1 X7 J" B8 G
Waisman said the “multiplier” in the formula, the average 54 trips a month, varies from city to city. In Toronto the multiplier would be a bigger number, in Lethbridge a smaller number.8 W5 u) [( h* m* w0 C7 \
~! I- ^4 K8 Z" |* U
The proposed change acts on a recommendation of the city auditor David Wiun.% m: E' `# ]* G- M9 ?
( M+ ]5 h1 C, U4 E% g, K0 uIn a recent report, he said Edmonton’s transit passes and cash fares are 11 to 14 per cent below that of comparable cities. The result is that Edmonton taxpayers must pay a greater share of transit’s budget than in those other cities, he said. |
|