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A ten per cent hike in Regina Transit fares will take effect April 8, after the necessary bylaw passed a third reading in a 6-5 vote on Wednesday.
Mayor Chad Bachynski and councillors Dan Rashovich, George Tsiklis, Mark Burton, Jason Mancinelli and Clark Bezo voted in favour of the bylaw, with Shanon Zachidniak, Shobna Radons, Victoria Flores, Sarah Turnbull and David Froh casting “no” votes.
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Since it was the third reading, there was no discussion, and no delegations were heard. However, opponents of the increase rallied in the foyer of City Hall before the meeting.
Opponents of the transit fare hike staged a rally in the City Hall foyer in a final attempt to stop it. Mandla Mthembu is pictured far right. (Geoff Smith/980 CJME)
Organizer Mandla Mthembu, a frequent critic of the hike, said it could force people into making choices.
“They won’t be able to pay for things that are essential, like food,” Mthembu told reporters, “like their bills and things like that, if they want to choose transit.”
He also warned of a potential drop in ridership, something Bachynski said the administration had priced into its calculations.
“These are all estimates at this point, but that was a consideration,” he said. “Obviously, we hope that that’s not the case, and that we’re really just trying to fall in line, not only to make up for the budget deficit that we approved at budget time, but also to make sure that we’re continuing to improve on transit, but also be competitive with other municipalities in what they’re seeing.”
The vote ends a more than three-month process that began during budget deliberations in December when the fare increase was first approved.
Effective April 8, the cash fare will be $3.50, with $3.20 the charge when paid electronically.
Monthly passes will be $97 for adults, $66 for youth, and $33 for seniors. A 31-day post-secondary pass will be $86.
