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Thorold just got free bus rides for kids and veterans

Could save money for families
city_bus_thorold
File Photo. Bob Liddycoat / Thorold News

Can’t find change for the bus?

If you are age 12 or below, or a Canadian Armed Forces veteran, you can take a seat.

Last Monday marked the first day of the new St Catharines transit policy granting riders in those two categories free fares on all their buses in Thorold and St Catharines.

“We are working to make more people use other transportation than cars, and to make young people more frequent riders go transit”, said councillor Dawn Dodge who sits on the St Catharines Transit Commission.

For a family with multiple children, this would make a significant price change for day trips outside the city for example, with $2.50 for a ride to the Go Train multiplying into tens of dollars.

“A family I spoke to said it opened up a door to do things they couldn’t do before”, Dodge continued.

The work on the initiative began in 2018, inspired by other similar-size municipalities in Ontario.

In Niagara Falls, seniors can ride for free and in Brampton and Guelph, veterans are offered free rides, however it requires an application.

In the 2020 budget, the Transit Commission estimated the free rides will result in a potential revenue loss of approximately $75,000.

“However, the hope is the policy change will be a ridership growth initiative, by making transit more affordable, families will be able to ride more frequently”, Graham Morrisson, General Manager of the commission said in an email.


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Ludvig Drevfjall

About the Author: Ludvig Drevfjall

Ludvig Drevfjall has been the editor of ThoroldToday since January 2020. He has worked as a journalist in Sweden, British Columbia and Ontario
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