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The Toronto Transit Commission is facing a $100-million deficit in its operating budget for next year. On November 17th the Commission ignored community outrage, and instead voted for a TTC fare hike of 25cents/fare and an increase of over 10% per monthly pass. In the new year, they expect us to pay $6 for ONE round trip on transit! Riders already cover more than 80% of TTC operating costs and it is by far the least-funded mass transit system in North America. This increase is outrageous and unacceptable - and we should refuse to pay!
Lately, we've been hearing a lot about shortfalls and deficits. We cannot forget where these deficits come from. When the economic crisis hit, the federal and provincial government quickly found BILLIONS of dollars of public money to bailout banks and corporations. Now these same governments want us to believe that they can't find any money to support public transit? As usual, big business gets bailed out, and the people get sold out.
For poor and working people in this city, especially for families,
transit costs are already too high and often unaffordable. This fare hike will hurt the people who are already struggling to make ends meet. The TTC deficit should not be loaded onto the
backs of people who need transit. It should not be paid for by riders and it should not be paid for by the workers who run the buses, subways and streetcars.
Paying more for transit is only one attack on already inadequate
public services. Lay-offs and deeper cuts to all essential services like Welfare, Disability, and the Ontario Drug Benefit are coming next if we don't fight back. Our communities demand affordable transit, real income levels, affordable housing, childcare, and education.
Transit is a necessity and it is a basic right. Not only are we fighting this fare hike, but we are demanding that transit be federally funded and affordable for everyone. If we mobilize, and
together refuse to accept this fare hike, we can take back transit.
