Several readers complained to me about last week’s article on token
hoarding. Some felt the TTC’s practice of limiting sales to five or
ten tokens stems from a customer-unfriendly attitude and the agency
should release all available tokens for sale.
A
few readers also disputed my claim that buying a monthly Metropass
remains a good deal for commuters who currently use tokens or
tickets to get to and from work.
I
wrote, "Taking into account the federal tax credit on passes, you
need only take 40 rides to break even at current (October) prices.
The November price increase bumps that number to just 41 — it’s even
lower for those who get the Metropass by mail."
This mathematical break-even point that is crucial for many
commuters who use transit about 20 workdays per month. The figures
are correct, as long as you factor in the tax credit -- which
according the official website transitpass.ca is now 15.5% against
certain types of fares.
It could be argued that not everyone is eligible for the credit
(especially those who pay no income tax) or that the TTC should not
raise Metropass prices in an attempt to close the gap created by the
tax break. It’s evident too that the federal Conservatives pandered
to voters by offering this credit -- without explaining how transit
systems would deal with the extra demand generated by newly
converted pass-holders.
Yet the “price point” equation brings up a key point: Many people
choose tokens or tickets because they use transit only for work
trips -- on evenings and weekends they drive. With a pass in one’s
pocket, it’s suddenly worth considering the bus or subway for some
non-work journeys. The environmental advantages to this shift (not
to mention cost-saving on gas) may convince even more people to give
up tokens.
Ironically, TTC has trouble with this. The agency can actually lose
money when customers switch to passes, plus crowding may increase
during shoulder and off-peak periods since there aren’t extra funds
to put more vehicles into service.
Unless we would rather use higher prices to limit ridership growth,
governments are going to have to cough up more revenue. If Ottawa
and Queen’s Park want to reduce auto emissions they can help entice
workday commuters to drive less on weekends and take transit to the
store or a show.
Sufficient funding for additional service -- starting with non-peak
times -- could allow the TTC to (at last) heavily promote the
savings and convenience of Metropasses.