Plan to cut seniors’ pass fare hike in half passes at Transit Commission [Video]

The City of Ottawa’s Transit Commission has approved the 2025 draft transit budget and has voted in favour of a smaller, but still significant, fare hike for seniors.

The 2025 draft transit budget includes a five per cent overall are increase and an eight per cent hike to the citywide transit levy. Notably, the budget included a planned 120 per cent increase to the monthly pass for seniors, which was met with public backlash. Councillors presented two motions to reduce the fare hike for seniors, one to increase fares by 60 per cent instead of 120 per cent, and another to set the seniors’ pass at the same price as the EquiPass, $58.25 per month, effectively an 18 per cent fare increase.

The motion by Coun. Tim Tierney to increase the seniors’ pass to $78.50 per month from $49 (a 60 per cent increase), as opposed to $108 per month as first included in the …