Brampton Transit Fare Set to Increase Significantly Very Soon
Published February 20, 2018 at 7:15 pm
Brampton Transit fare is like an incline on a roller coaster. Hopefully, this is its peak.
It’s no secret that Brampton Transit is a rapidly growing transit system – it’s actually the fastest growing in Canada. Now, the transit system is facing an unprecedented increase in ridership, projected at 27 million for 2017.
With that kind of growth, one can only expect a major fare increase – and here it comes!
Brampton Transit will officially hike cash fare to a rounded two toonies, or in layperson’s terms, $4 as of Monday March 5, 2018.
Currently, cash fare sits at $3.75.
PRESTO fare is also increasing, from $2.95 to $3 for adults, and from $2.50 to $2.55 for youth. No changes are coming to child and senior fares just yet.
Here’s a look at all of the price changes coming into effect this March:
“Brampton Transit is facing significant cost pressures due to the demands to increase service levels and frequencies to meet the growth in Brampton’s population and ridership,” said a recent budget committee report from Brampton Transit.
With this increase, Brampton Transit cash fare will officially be on par with York Region transit fare, topping fare in Mississauga, Burlington, Oakville, TTC, Durham Region, and Hamilton Street Railway. This would make Brampton Transit some of the most expensive transit in Ontario.
Not all fares are set to increase, though. Child fares are set to decrease from $2.50 to $2 on September 3, 2018.
According to Brampton Transit, there are external cost pressures like increased diesel fueld costs and Cap and Trade costs that need to be covered, so the increase aims to offset some of those expenses and share a portion of them between transit users and taxpayers.
According to the report, these changes “are anticipated to generate 1.4 per cent more fare revenue, which is below the inflation control target rate of two per cent.”
You may know that Brampton’s population has increased by 20 per cent since 2009. But here’s a wild fact: Brampton Transit ridership has nearly doubled during the same period, according to the City.
If you were curious about other major budget details on transit, Brampton Transit’s operating budget is projected at about $66 million in 2018, increasing to over $70 million in 2020, and the Highway 407 TransitWay is still in the works.
The City’s budget also has plans to bring over 60 new conventional buses and Zum buses onto Brampton Transit’s fleet over the next three years.
This year, Brampton Transit plans to extend service on certain routes (such as extending the Airport Zum to Malton GO), open the Sandalwood Maintenance facility expansion, and even pilot electric buses.
“This fare increase supports the addition of 65,000 service hours to improve overall transit service including the extension of 505 Züm Bovaird along Airport Road to the Malton GO Station,” says Brampton Transit online.
Check out the fare increase notice here.
INsauga's Editorial Standards and Policies