Commuters in the Regional District of Nanaimo can expect to pay more to ride the bus starting later this spring.
At its meeting on Thursday, Jan. 23, the RDN transit committee approved a recommendation that will see fares for single rides increasing to $2.75 from $2.50 and a day pass to $5.50 from $5. Monthly passes for adults will remain at $65, but monthly passes for children and seniors would climb to $45 from $40. For university students, monthly passes will go to $55 from $50 and semester passes would increase to $176 from $170.
Five HandyDart tickets will cost more as well, increasing to $13.75 from $12.50, while 20 tickets will cost $55, an increase of $5. The move is projected to boost fare revenue by four per cent to $157,000, a staff report stated.
Cowichan Valley Regional District and the RDN partner on the Nanaimo-Cowichan Express bus, running from Nanaimo to Duncan, and a fare decrease would come for that route, to $5 from $7.50. An express bus monthly pass would decrease to $125 from $175 and a 30-day pass, valid in RDN, CVRD and the express route, would drop to $175 from $245, according to Tessa Stewart, B.C. Transit manager of business development, who was present at the meeting.
While decreasing rates would lead to fare revenue declining by $16,000 on the route, there is increased ridership of more than 2,500 projected and it would provide financial incentive to utilize the route, stated staff.
Jessica Stanley, RDN Electoral A director, proposed an amendment to increase the cost of a child/seniors' pass only to $42.50, citing affordability.
"Sorry to muck here, but the reality is we keep hearing about seniors on fixed income, and we also talk about our goal of increasing ridership," said Stanley. "This concession pass targets those two groups, teenagers and the seniors, and so I feel like the $5 increase is a significant jump … I would like to lessen that impact while still acknowledging that some fare increases may benefit."
There is a tight timeline ahead of planned April implementation and tweaking the fare increases could create challenges, staff suggested at the meeting. Lehann Wallace, Area G director, spoke against the amendment.
"I think staff has made a recommendation and done so in a very clear, concise way with [information] presented, and literally to make an amendment on $2.50 … I think is, as [Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog would say if he were here], 'Playing with the trains.'"
The recommendation will go before the RDN board at a future meeting and if approved, fare changes would come into effect April 1.