Burnaby is calling on the B.C. government to make transit more affordable for young and low-income people.
Council voted Monday to send two resolutions to this year’s Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.
The first calls on the province to consider eliminating or reducing fare evasion fines for minors and implementing alternatives to financial fines for those who are given tickets. A Burnaby city staff report says the $52 monthly stipend given to British Columbians on disability assistance is “not sufficient to offset the costs associated with purchasing a monthly transit pass in most regions.”
The second resolution asks the province to consider making transit free or cheaper for people on income or disability assistance. According to the staff report, “the levying of fare infraction tickets disproportionately impacts low-income and/or young persons who may not have access to means of payment.”
Representatives from municipalities will vote on whether to endorse the requests at UBCM’s convention in September.
The two proposals came in response to a delegation from the All On Board campaign, which presented to Burnaby council in February. At the time, council endorsed, in principle, the campaign’s call for free transit for minors, sliding-scale pass fees based on income and alternatives to hefty fare-evasion fees such as community service.
