The City’s Transit Commission has approved its budget for next year, which includes several changes to how OC Transpo users pay for their ride.
Starting January 1, 2017, the Express pass will no longer exist. Instead, all bus riders will use the same monthly pass, costing $113.75. It’s a $16.75 discount for Express pass users, but an $8.00 increase for Regular pass users.
For approximately 8,800 users below the low-income cut-off, the new EquiPass comes into effect, costing $57.00 per month.
Also included in Monday’s agenda was the approval of a new contract between OC Transpo and Metrolinx, the company that runs the Presto Card system. The tentative agreement would see transit riders use Presto until 2027, but the City’s per-tap fee to Metrolinx will increase from 2% to 6% by 2021.
The $500 million budget and the Metrolinx agreement must still go before full City Council on December 14th.