Free and Accessible Public Transit

By Peter D'Gama.
​Public Transit like housing should be a right not a privilege.  It effects the ability of workers to go to work and maintain social relations.  In a period of accelerating climate change we need to focus on making public transit free and accessible.

This involves  working towards reduction of transit fares for low income and seniors.  We should move towards making transit free which would encourage ridership and move people from dependency on fossil fuel based transportation.

The Current pass for low income is 115.00  and $2.00 cash fare. This should be reduced to $50.00 and $1.00 cash fare as an intermediate step towards Free public Transit. People in Ward 1 need more accessible and affordable Transit.  I will fight for finishing construction of Finch LRT planned to go from Humber College to Finch West Station. This could be in peril  as the Doug Ford PC  government  has stated its preference for subways which is  not an alternative for Ward 1.  The incumbent Councillor has sided with Doug Ford on the subway issue and this could possibly jeopardize construction Of Finch LRT in favour of a 3 stop subway in Scarborough.

Free Transit is no longer a utopian goal and is one that many Cities have adopted.  The city of Talinn in Estonia has adopted Free Transit for its system of buses and streetcars and it has proved popular among its residents.

Free Transit would make life easier for worker's Toronto job commute and also enhance the community by making it easier to get around the city.  We can test this through implementation of No Fare on Sundays and Free Transit during summer during high smog days to get drivers out of cars and onto buses.  I commit to making Public Transit accessibility and affordability a priority and work towards implementation of Free Transit for all.

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