Unsigned: supporting free transit for lower incomes

The Alliance Against Poverty is attempting to get the Grand River Transit Commission to allow low-income people to ride the bus free of charge.

Obviously, this is a good idea. However, the logistics of such a program are harder to understand, especially from our standpoint as university students.

Each semester, we pay a greatly reduced rate for our bus passes. Though there is a huge amount of them all being sold at the same time, if they can reduce this cost greatly for students, why can’t they for another large demographic in the greater Waterloo area?

This could open a lot of doors for lower-income people who otherwise would not be able to afford the bus. It would connect people to potential employers and give them an opportunity to connect outside of their immediate home area.

Even low-income families getting children to school or going to get groceries could be made easier with this proposed plan.

The Grand River Transit Commission already has subsidized rates for low-income families, but the waitlist for these services is astronomical.

If the bus is running anyway, why not fill them with riders who will actually appreciate their services?

Leave a Reply