FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, ON – TTCriders express deep disappointment today following the passage of Bill 98, legislation that hands sweeping new powers over transit fares, service standards, and regional integration to the Province of Ontario and Metrolinx.
TTCriders, a membership-based transit advocacy group from Toronto warns that the bill puts affordable fares, local accountability, and the future of Toronto’s transit system at risk.
“Bill 98 could be the beginning of the end of the TTC as we know it,” said Andrew Pulsifer, Executive Director of TTCriders. “For generations, riders could show up at TTC Board meetings at City Hall, and advocate directly to local decision makers for affordable fares and better service. Today, the Ford government voted to take away the voice of riders and make those decisions behind closed doors at Queen's Park.
The bill allows the Province to determine fare structures, discounts, transfer policies, service standards, and regional fare integration across transit agencies in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. TTCriders warns the legislation could threaten key affordability measures including fare capping, the TTC’s two-hour transfer window, discounted fares for seniors and youth, and Toronto’s single-fare system.
“I’m very worried that this bill will lead to distance or zone based fares in Toronto,” said Pranitha Rathakrishnan, a transit rider from Scarborough. “I often commute to the downtown core or Etobicoke for work. Right now I only pay a single-fare for a ride, making the TTC an affordable option for me. I’m very worried that Scarborough riders may be charged more if Toronto were split up into multiple fare zones.”
Despite the bill’s passage, TTCriders says the campaign is far from over and pledged to continue organizing as the Province develops the regulations and policies that will determine how the new system operates in practice.
TTCriders is calling on the Province to:
- protect Toronto’s single-fare system and existing affordability programs
- preserve meaningful local input into fare and service decisions
- ensure local transit revenue is reinvested into local service
- restore stable operating funding for municipal transit systems
“Bill 98 may have passed, but riders are still here,” said Pulsifer. “And we are not done fighting for a transit system that works for the people who depend on it every day.”