After pandemic hiatus, bus fare hikes roll out across B.C.

Bus fare hikes have started rolling out across B.C., now that a pandemic-era agreement between B.C. Transit and the federal and provincial governments has lapsed. 

B.C. Transit provides a wide range of public transportation services across 130 communities in British Columbia, serving both urban and rural areas. Metro Vancouver fares are regulated by TransLink. 

Victoria and Nanaimo were first out of the gate, with fares going up as soon as the agreement expired in April. Kamloops, Kelowna, Whistler and the central Fraser Valley are some of the regions that have recently approved changes to fares that are set to be implemented this fall. 

Regional directors in the Comox Valley received a B.C. Transit presentation on fare increases Tuesday evening, but voted to receive another report on Aug. 12 before officially hiking fares.

Mike Zbarsky, the region's manager of transit and facilities, said the fare review process was long overdue. 

"These are important things for our board to consider on a regular basis to make sure that bus fares are affordable, but also are there to generate revenue to pay for transit services," Zbarsky told CBC News.

Price hikes

The Comox Valley Regional District's last fare review was in 2018, Zbarsky said. 

B.C. Transit's proposed increases in the Comox Valley include hiking single fares from $2 to $2.50, and increasing 30-day passes from $55 to $65.

Concession rates would also increase. These changes would apply to regular buses as well as handyDART. 

Zbarsky said the region has to balance increasing fares, which would increase revenues, with the possibility of decreased ridership because of higher costs. 

"Throughout the COVID pandemic, when we were not increasing our fares, we were still improving our transit services — better scheduling, more service hours, better infrastructure. And we had kind of limited funds to do that with during that time," he said.

"And so now with a bit more revenue hopefully coming, this would allow us to continue even more expansions to the transit service."

The fare review also includes the possibility of a U-Pass for North Island College students.

That option was conditionally approved by regional district directors at their meeting on Tuesday evening, with directors also asking for staff to review options to improve the affordability of transit.

Pandemic-era agreement

In a written statement, B.C. Transit said the Safe Restart agreement it signed with the province and the federal government in 2020 included a stipulation that fare increases would be limited to 2.3 per cent annually until April 1, 2025. 

A B.C. Transit media representative explained that fares are usually increased to a rounded amount so that riders paying cash don't have to scrounge for small change like dimes and nickels, so the small allowable increase was never fully implemented.

The agreement gave B.C. Transit $86 million. The transit authority says the funds went toward offsetting lost fare and gas tax revenues and other COVID-19 expenses. 

B.C. Transit says Squamish and the Pemberton Valley are also currently reviewing their bus fares. 

Decisions around fares are made by local governments, B.C. Transit says, adding that the costs of operating transit and demand for service continue to increase. 

Impact on vulnerable users

Disability advocate Lynda Brosko, executive director of L'Arche Comox Valley, said she understands the need to update fares.

However, she wishes the hikes would be done in consultation with vulnerable transit users. 

"My hope is just that we ask people with disabilities how this is going to impact them and whether or not they'll be able to manage those cost increases," Brosko said.

"It's easy when we're privileged to not recognize the small changes and how impactful they are. But when people are on a fixed income, it's not one expense that's going up; it's all ... the different expenses that are going up."

As part of the Comox Valley's fare review, the region is also considering different subsidy models for people with low incomes, but Zbarsky said the board will need to evaluate its options before putting anything in place. 

Brosko warned against subsidies, however, noting they can be tedious and difficult to apply for — especially for people with intellectual disabilities. 

"Sometimes when we set up these subsidized models, the complexity to access them is really high," she said.

"If you're a person with an intellectual disability, unless you have a strong support system to do it for you, you can't access the supports that are designed for you."