British Columbia's overpriced transit fares do nothing to help commuters or the environment

Edited by Sue Mills

	Vancouver Skyline.

VICTORIA — Commuters in Metro Vancouver will not see any relief to transit pressures in the new year as residents are forced to pay the highest prices in the country by far, says Maurine Karagianis, New Democrat Critic for Transport

Gordon Campbell has said he wants to reduce green house gas emissions by 23 percent, but to do that he must encourage commuters to use public transit.

“Surrey commuters will pay five dollars for a one-way trip, yes five dollars! The lower mainland will welcome the world with the highest fares of anywhere else in Canada,” says Maurine Karagianis. “How is this supposed to help transit stay affordable and get people out of their cars?”

Metro Vancouver boasts the most expensive single urban transit fare in Canada. Montreal commuters currently pay the next highest price for a zone 3 fare at $2.75. A single zone bus or Skytrain ride will rise by twenty-five cents to $2.50.

“If the Campbell government really cared about commuters in Metro Vancouver, they wouldn’t be pushing ahead with unrealistic fare increases.”

During the fall sitting of the Legislature, the Campbell Liberals rammed through the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Amendment Act, 2007, legislation that changed the make-up of TransLink. The new TransLink board is made up of members hand picked by the B.C. Liberals yet only one of those members admits to regular use of public transit.

The New Democrats argued that the legislation would lead to huge increases in property taxes, higher transit fares and possible privatization of the transit system and did not provide any funding for public transit.

“The Campbell Liberals have totally lost touch with regular British Columbians. Commuters deserve solutions, not another cash grab,” said Karagianis.

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