Bus fares are going up in Halifax and some people have mixed reactions.
Some think the buses doesn’t work well enough to be paying more for tickets, while others find they don’t mind the increase, and some believe any increase in fees is too much while the cost of living is so high.
Anni Anni says the increase in the bus fee doesn’t matter to her because the cost is better than Uber.
“It’s better than everything else,” she said, adding that she’s been taking the bus for two years.
New fares come in September
The new fees take effect September 1st.
Adult tickets will go up from $2.75 to $3. The adult monthly pass will go up $7.50 to $90.
Youth (13-17) and senior (65+) tickets will go up from $2 to $2.25. Their monthly pass will go up $6 to $66.
Prices for regional express buses are also going up.
For a comparison between the current fees and the new ones, check out the tables below.
The left table shows current fares for Halifax Transit. The table on the right shows the new fares for September 1. (Halifax Transit)
The left table shows current fares for Halifax Transit’s regional express. The table on the right shows the new regional express fares for September 1. (Halifax Transit)
Dave MacCormack said he was more worried about his rent going up by hundreds of dollars. He couldn’t care less about the price of the bus fare, he said.
James Kho didn’t know the fare increase was coming. He said he wishes he knew about it sooner.
“And in this economy, I don’t think it’s the best choice anyway,” he said.
Jennifer LeBlanc has some issues with the city’s bus service. Sometimes it’s overcrowded and seniors have to stand, and some time the buses are late, she said.
“If I’m going to be paying more money for the bus, then my expectation is to at least get to work on time, right?” she said.
Ruby McOnie also felt the bus fare shouldn’t go up because buses are still slow sometimes.
He said he wishes there was more reason to take the bus but the city is really focused on car infrastructure first and public transit second.
Fares going up isn’t great for a lot of less fortunate people, he said.
“A bus fare costing as much as a medium fry at McDonald’s, it’s ridiculous, really.”
For Nancy Dow, she took the bus because it’s free for seniors between on Tuesday and
But she says people are obsessed with their cars, and she hopes higher fees won’t make people choose cars over the bus.
“I get it, though, we’re all addicted to our cars,” she said.
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