After a month of consultation with the public and BC Transit drivers, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission have chosen to keep fare prices the same, however, the corporation will eliminate paper transfers, the multi-month youth pass and the youth/senior tickets.
“Following consultations with the general public and transit operators, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission decided to keep most fares the same. This includes the regular cash fare of $2.50, Adult Tickets at $22.50 for a sheet of 10, the $5.00 DayPASS and the $85.00 Monthly Pass for adults.”
“As well, the price for the monthly pass for seniors and youth will remain at $45.00, as it has for the past three years.”
Previous paper transfers allowed one-way travel within a 60-minute time period.
Now customers needing to travel on more than one route during a trip will need to purchase a DayPASS for $5.00 – or by exchanging two tickets. The DayPASS will allow for unlimited travel for that day. The day passes will only be sold onboard buses, exact change required.
An adult customer with a DayPass can travel with up to four children under the age of 12, with the one pass.
Most disagreements were over expired transfers or the use of a one-way transfer for a round trip.
The changes will take effect Friday, April 1.
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This has to be the most ridiculous decision for transit that I have every heard of and I come from the land of Translink! You are effectively doubling the cost of travel for anyone who is not able to complete a trip with one bus. So I come over to visit my daughter, costs me $5 to get to her place (since of course I would need to take two buses) and $5 to get back to the ferry. I believe that protecting drivers should be a priority but I wonder whether this is a viable strategy or a cash grab. Am I alone in this and if not, how did the stakeholders not have a say?
If I’m reading this article correctly – when implemented it would mean that when boarding the first bus just bring $5 exact change and buy a day pass from the driver. Any subsequent trips that day are covered by your daypass.
The article states that consultations were done with the general public, and my memories of when I lived in Victoria are that the bulk of transit users made single bus trips. Those who habitually made trips that required the use of more than one bus, such as myself, generally found it more economical to get a monthly pass.
Also consider that BC Transit is not levying a fare increase per se. In order to do that, something has to give.
While I agree that your particular situation does show a weakness in the upcoming fare structure, I suspect that there aren’t many “stakeholders” in the system with situations comparable to yours, unfortunately.
Right, but consider that Yvonne’s return trip is unlikely going to be the same day as her inbound trip.
How come in every other city in Canada transit operators can handle transfers, yet in Victoria, because transit operators don’t like dealing with them, they’re gone. The new structure is not conducive to increasing ridership. Ridiculous decision by the Commission.
I read a lot of the comments and it seems that my situation may be unique but there are a lot of people out there who will be impacted in various other ways. Once again, I believe driver safety is very important. I just don’t believe that is what, if you will excuse the expression, “is driving that particular bus”. Feels like it is forcing the monthly pass on people. A cash grab is the more likely reason.
That is correct. This is not going to change my plans when I visit Victoria and in fact when I would go over for just the day (on occasion) I would buy a day pass anyways.
I am thinking of the people who take their kids to school on their way to work but the kids need to take a bus home. Or the people who catch a ride in with a neighbour but need to bus home. Or any of the other scenarios I have read about.
Assuming those people would be taking two bus trips for twenty days of the month, they’d likely find it more economical to use monthly passes.