by Emmy Marshall-Hill
To consult is to discuss. Consultation is not what BC Transit has done on its BC Transit fare review webpage. We were given the choice between a poke in the eye with a sharp stick (doing away with transfers), a kick in the head with a frozen boot (eliminating student and senior fares), or forced submersion in a frozen lake (increasing all general fares). One had to pick one of these choices in order to comment. If you didn’t choose one, you couldn’t comment; ergo no consultation.
Dig deeper. The ‘ism’ BC transit claimed to be targeting is ageism in its proposal to eliminate the student and senior fares. This change in fare is not fair as it targets the 2 largest cohorts living on lower or fixed incomes who could benefit greatly from affordable access to public transit.
The entire process was a thinly disguised cash grab flying under the banner of consultation.
A transit system is not a business. It is a public service operated in and for the public interest. It has the potential to enhance and enrich our communities. To adopt the transit’s approach leads to it becoming another mode of transit for the rich. While the rest of us are delegated to the ankle express.
The Victoria Regional Transit Commission will make a decision on the new fare structure at their meeting on December 8, 2015.
Photo credit: BC Transit’s logo is used from their website.
Guest Author Bio
Emmy Marshall-Hill 
An ordinary citizen? Perhaps. A superhero dedicated to inspiring communities into a better quality of life? That’s more like it.
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