TTC to increase passenger fares

Toronto-Transit-CommissionThe Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is planning to increase passenger fares in the city in order to cover all the expenses.

The chairman of the TTC, Karen Stintz said that commission is considering hiking the fare as the subsidy it receives from the administration will remain flat in the year, which will not be enough to cover for rising ridership and all the additional costs.

“We’ve been told by the city that the subsidy we receive from the city will be flat this year and with growing ridership and all the other expenses that we are facing, we do need to have a moderate inflationary fare increase,” said Stintz.

The commission will meet on Thursday to vote on a proposal to hike the passenger fees by five per cent. This would mean approximately $30 in extra costs per year for the commuters in the city. The commission is looking to generate about $18 million of the total $30 million under recovery it will record in the coming year.

Some city councilors have said that the TTC ahs surplus and thus the rise in fare is not necessary. Stintz has said in a response that the city authority is going to take away the surplus and the hike is necessary if the subsidy is not increased.