Last week, the TTC announced that it will raise its fares by approximately ten per cent. U of T students who buy metropasses subsidized by UTSU will be now be paying $96.00, up from $87.75. According to UTSU VP-External David Scrivener, the increased cost could limit the number of metropasses that UTSU can afford to buy on behalf of students. He also warned that the money UTSU uses to run the program will likely not buy enough metropasses to meet student demand, leaving U of T students to buy non-subsidized passes. The regular price of non- UTSU metropasses has been raised to $109.
So not only are students facing an increased fare, but they might also be forced into lengthy lineups around Hart House Circle to ensure they actually do get a transit pass. Imagine a conga line with no music, add wait times of approximately one hour in the Toronto winter, plus the chance of being turned away without a pass, and the net result will be a very agitated student body.
The fare raise is a result of a survey that was circulated by the TTC a few weeks ago, asking if Torontonians wanted a raise in fare. I have a confession to make: I voted in favour of a fare hike. Before you fire up your MacBook to write me a scathing piece of hate mail, let me explain my logic. I responded that I would prefer a raise, as long as service was not cut. That being said, what I actually meant is that expensive fares for transit are reasonable if and only if we receive service that is reliable and dependable.
The problem with an increased TTC fare is not so much the cost (although I am sure that it is a bitter pill for many students to swallow). The problem is that in spite of this increased fare, Torontonians will likely not be getting the service that is expected of a major city in North America. The service is simply not up to par, and the TTC has made no promises to elevate it now that we’ll be paying more.
Take for example the fact that the subway often stalls at Ossington, Keele or Eglington stations for about five minutes so that the TTC operators can switch between shifts. How hard could it possibly be for the next operator to wait on the subway platform to ensure that the transition from one operator to the next is as seamless as possible?
Or the fact that you can wait at a bus stop for 30 minutes in this city and watch five buses go past without picking up passengers, not because those buses are full, but because bus drivers are unwilling to raise their voices and ask people to move to the back so that others can be let on.
In short, U of T students and Torontonians should be disgusted with the present state of affairs. At this critical time, when efficient public transit could help slow down the processes of climate change and global warming, the TTC is sticking to a pathetic policy of providing the bare-minimum of service, and not even attempting quality service. Doing so while raising fares is utterly laughable. The current operation of the TTC is a disfavour to the city of Toronto that needs to be rectified.
