St. Albert Transit wants to simplify fares so riders and drivers aren't left wrangling over who pays what fare at what time of day.
"At the moment, we have a range of fare media," said Ian Sankey, planning and customer service manager. "The simplicity is mainly to make the job of the driver easier and reduce fare disputes."
The transit fare review was endorsed by council at its finance committee Monday night. It was launched after a council request in 2009 to address issues with keeping fares in line with others in the Capital region.
Sankey also said reducing fare options would cull cost disputes, which he said are the leading cause of conflict between riders and drivers.
St. Albert Transit has a multitude of fare options. Cash fares are currently $2.50 for travel in travel, with a 50-cent discount for seniors and children between six and 11, and $4 for commuter travel to Edmonton during off-peak hours. The commuter fare is $5 during peak hours, between 5:30 and 8:30 a.m. and 3 and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Under the new structure, cash fares would remain $2.50 in St. Albert and $5 for commuter service to Edmonton. Transit proposes scrapping off-peak fares, and only allow discounts for riders under 18 at $4 (infants to five year olds are free).
Monthly bus passes would rise to $60 for in-city travel and $95 for commuters, but increases of $5. Seniors' passes would rise to $50, up $5.
The new scheme calls for a new pass fare for elementary, junior, secondary and post-secondary, at $84 a month. This would allow the city to discontinue its trimester and high school passes ($316).
Sankey also recommends introducing the new fares on Feb. 1 instead of Jan. 1, similar to other transit providers in the region.
The report also addressed the idea of allowing volunteer groups, such as Katimavik, obtain free bus passes. Sankey said it would not be advisable with statistics showing that around one-third of city residents volunteer with various community groups.
"We found few, if any, municipalities that would give volunteers a free pass," he said, suggesting it would be feasible to give volunteers who work at one-off events a free pass to help reduce traffic congestion.
Handibus
Mayor Nolan Crouse said he liked the idea of shifting the fare increases to Feb. 1, saying city staff were often rushed to prepare new fares by Jan. 1. However, he started to question the existence of the city's fleet of three handibuses, saying ridership is dropping.
"Lo-Se-Ca has its own bus, Chateau Mission has its own bus, North Ridge, Citadel, Driving Angels program, the seniors' [Centre] has its own bus now," he said. "Are you starting to question if we need three handibuses?"
"We need to examine where we are with handibus," said transit director Bob McDonald. "We're not the same as Edmonton and Strathcona."
The report will make its way to council within the coming weeks.
