Yes, a price
increase for TTC fares takes effect April 1. It looks like Metropass
buyers won’t be pinched too much, but if you prefer to use adult tickets
and tokens the price goes up five per cent. Five tokens will cost
$10.50. Those who pay cash have a chance to reconsider the habit, as the
single fare rises 10 per cent from $2.50 to $2.75.
Buying a monthly
Metropass starting in April will cost just 25 cents short of $100 --
which comes to about $3.35 per day. A reader in Scarborough pointed out
this is a relatively small fee to travel the city whenever you want. The
cost per day drops to $3 or so if you sign up for the Metropass
subscription plan.
The monthly plan --
which will be $91.50 a month -- becomes even more tempting compared to
regular fares. You can forget lining up for tokens, using transfers and
the trip to the collector booth with $100. The Metropass plan
automatically deducts the cost from your account every month. Remember
there is no refund if you lose any TTC fare media.
The weekly TTC
pass, which hasn’t caught on with riders since being introduced last
fall, will stay at $30. The day pass will go up 50 cents to $8.50. For
years readers have asked why the pass is not valid during the morning
rush period. Finally the TTC will remove the restriction on use before
9:30 a.m. weekdays.
Not everyone is
putting up with the price increase. Last week Barry Applebaum of Toronto
wrote, “For all the 30-plus years of my working life I have used the TTC,
and used my car on weekends only. From now on I drive.
“I'm fed up with
waiting for buses, then having two or three arrive together. I'm fed up
with the subway trains ... they seem to stop at stations for one or two
minutes or more without any clear reason.”
He wrote again
Monday, “Today I have driven my car to work for the first time. I
realize that it does cost more than the TTC, but I just can't take their
indifference to the public anymore. I do realize they are terribly
underfunded by the provincial government, but at the same time many of
their shortcomings are not financially related.”
Sean Heggie of
Toronto wrote, ”I as a commuter have had enough -- I am being held
hostage. I for one have decided to ride a bike year round. $1,200 (a
year’s worth of Metropasses) will buy a nice bike that will get me
around the city faster then the TTC. I can barely make ends meet now,
and I don’t get raises to cover these rising costs.”
Charlotte Johnston
of North York wrote, “Another hike? They must be joking. I used to live
in Paris, which has one of the best transit systems. I am stunned when I
compare (fare prices) in both cities. In Paris, 10 tickets cost 10.70
euros (approximately $14.70). In Toronto, 10 tokens cost $20 plus -- and
I can’t even go everywhere, whereas in Paris, I can.”