Regina city council approves transit fare increase

Transit fares going up City council approves plans to raise the price of riding the bus in Regina.

The price of riding Regina transit buses is going up.

Starting Jan. 1, the price of a ride on a bus will increase 25 cents, with a similar increase scheduled for 2016 and 2017.

It's a decision city councilors at Monday night’s meeting said was not made lightly.

“A few dollars for some people is different than a few dollars for other people. So we have to respect that,” said Coun. Shawn Fraser.

“My sense is it's really the state of our system that's holding people back, not the cost of the system."

The transit service isn't a money maker for the city -- the ratio of fare revenue to operating costs is currently 37 per cent.

It’s expected that the fare increase will bring that number up to 45 per cent.

David Vanderberg, a student at the University of Regina, says better service would also boost revenue.

"Cost recovery will not come out of simply raising fees,” Vanderberg said. “Cost recovery will come out of people using the bus and the bus system has to be something that people will want to ride."

Council also approved ordering six new 40-foot, low-floor buses to replace aging units and revive the fleet.

Based on a report by CTV Regina’s Tonaya Marr