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Fair parity policy is on the table
Rick Zamperin
3/18/2013

City councillors are hearing from several groups today on a fare parity policy for local bus transit.

Councillor Sam Merulla wants to create a confidential testing system for disabled users.

It would judge if a rider is able to pay for the bus trip, regardless of the nature of their disability.

If the rider could prove the fare is beyond their means, they would get a free pass.

The proposal is in response to a controversial staff suggestion to stop offering free bus rides to blind residents in order to adhere to provincial accessibility standards.

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  1. MariaR_6861 posted on 03/18/2013 10:57 AM
    There is no compassion. The province needs to be stopped with such laws and its needs to be scrapped. Yes, Canada be came a serve my self country. Look at all the governing individuals who are making big money and they still dip into the free to be at the expense of all of us. I guess the province is looking at the most vulnerable s, the binds, and the paralyzed to pay of the deficit that they handed out to the corporations. We need to stop the hands out for corporations. They just making the share holders wealthy and those share have a tax credit so that is very attractive. The companies in order to maintain them self's applies to to governments and their tactic is if you do not give me tax breaks, if you dont give me cash I let the people go and then you have to support them on welfare.
    Please do not use the disabled to balance the transportation budgets. It is criminal what is going on with cuts against the most unable ones physically and financially. How is wealthy or have means on 1.000. per months or so, when one can not do nothing for them self's. WE SLIPPED DOWN THE SCALE TO THE LOWEST THERE IS A ROCK BOTTOM IN OUR MORALE STANDARDS. LET US CHANGE THIS TO THE WAY ITS IS HUMANITARIAN AND JUST.
  2. JJ posted on 03/18/2013 01:12 PM
    Hamilton made a HUGE mistake many years ago by giving anyone who "appears" to have a disability, free use of public transit. I agree that Transit should be free to ALL those who cannot afford transportation, and that seems to be the direction the City is now prepared to go in. Those who legitimately cannot afford to pay for Tranist should be given a special pass that allows them to ride without paying a fare. Those who have the income to pay the small fare ($2.00 per ticket) should all have to pay, disabled or not. Let's not lose sight of the fact that operating Transit is expensive, and for years in Hamilton the lost revenue over abusing the current policy is ridiculous. Anyone can grab a four pronged cane and ride the bus free forever, even if there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. This has caught on so much that it is embarassing to watch, especially when honest people faithfully pay for the great tranist service our City supplies. "Disabled" does not mean "Unable"! My Mother is legally blind, and therefore considered disabled, however she has plenty enough income to pay for transit, AND although she carries a CNIB card, SHE PAYS each and every time she takes a bus! Let's get off the crying boat for disabled people and the freebies they "expect". Everyone who can afford to pay for public transit SHOULD pay for public transit. Low income people, whether disabled, or not disabled should get a break on not just public transit, but many other public services.
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