Transit riders at the Haney Bus Loop in Maple Ridge aren’t pleased with pending fare increases.
Transit fares will increase July 1. According a TransLink, single-use fares will be five to 10 cents more. Other fares such as the DayPass and Monthly pass will increase 35 cents to $2 dollars.
Betty Edwards, a transit rider at the bus loop in downtown Maple Ridge, thinks the increases are unfair, and that she often sees people getting on the bus without paying.
“It’s unfair for us who pay transit. For the ones that don’t pay, what do they care, they just get on for free,” she said.
Monica Klein, another transit rider, wants Maple Ridge bus services to be increased, saying wait times for buses are too long. Weekends are especially bad, she added, when the buses run every half hour.
She said it’s wrong to increase fares if services are lacking.
Harry Hartwag, a transit rider, said he has a better idea for generating transportation revenue: toll bridges.
“Put the tolls on bridges like I suggested years ago, that’s where the government will get their revenue. Don’t bother the taxpayers for more money.”
The fare changes were announced in November 2016 as part of the Mayors’ Council 10-Year Vision for Regional Transportation.
Price increases:
• single-use concession, increase by five cents for Stored Value and 10 cents for cash fare;
• single-use adult fares, increase by 10 cents (including HandyDART);
• day pass fares, increase by 25 cents;
• monthly pass fares, increase $1 to $2 depending on zone;
• West Coast Express, adult one-way fares will go up 10 cents and the monthly pass will go up $2.
TransLink said these price increases help improvements such as increasing capacity, reducing overcrowding and adding new bus services.
