A ticket to ride the bus in Kelowna is still a comparatively good deal despite fare increases, city councillors heard Monday.听
Effective Oct. 1, a single adult fare will rise from $2.50 to $3. The last increase was a decade ago.听
Currently, the average transit fare across Canada is $3.50, councillors heard.听
As part of the changes, the day pass fare will rise from $ to $6, and a monthly adult pass will increase from $70 to $80.听
Overall, the fare increases are expected to boost revenue by $1.1 million. But passengers actually pay only about 30 per cent of the system鈥檚 nearly $28 million operating cost, with grants from BC Transit and a subsidy from Kelowna taxpayers covering the rest.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 been so long since the last fare increase, I think what鈥檚 being outlined here is perfectly reasonable,鈥 said Coun. Rick Webber.听
College and university students get an even better deal on Kelowna transit, currently paying $176 for a semester, or four month, pass. That charge will rise to $208, but not until September 2026 and only if the students themselves approve the increase in a referendum.听
If the students were to vote down the increase, it鈥檚 possible the heavily discounted university and college pass would be withdrawn and the students would face much higher regular fares.听
Coun. Ron Cannan asked if fare reviews would normally be conducted more frequently than the 10-year lapse that has occurred. Mike Kittmer of BC Transit said such reviews normally happen every five years, but that didn鈥檛 happen in 2020 when the onset of the pandemic sent passenger ridership tumbling on all transit systems.听
鈥淪o we鈥檙e sort of playing catch up here a little bit,鈥 Kittmer said. 鈥淚 think going forward it makes sense to consider more incremental changes.鈥