If the promise of $1 beers helped get Ontario PC leader and Premier Doug Ford elected in 2018, could a similar promise to implement $1 public transit rides work for the Liberal Party’s Steven Del Duca?
The latter politician appears to be banking on it ahead of Ontario’s 2022 general election, at least in part, with a recently announced plan he calls a “buck-a-ride.”
And if you thought Ford’s (now mostly defunct) “buck-a-beer” program seemed ambitious, you’ll definitely have some questions about how Del Duca plans to cut fares to $1 per trip on all mass transit lines across the entire city. Province. for two full years.
“Steven Del Duca has announced that a Liberal Ontario government would reduce transit fares to $1 per trip on every transit line in Ontario, reducing traffic jams and greenhouse gas emissions while making life more affordable for Ontario families,” the Liberals announced Monday morning, just days before the car is due to be retired for the June 2022 general election.
“The fare reduction would apply to all transit systems in Ontario, including municipal transit, all GO Transit services, and Ontario Northland service, and the provincial government would fully replace lost revenue from transit systems, ensuring that this decision does not affect any municipal government”.
Unlike Doug Ford’s broken promise of ‘a beer,’ a @OntLiberal The government will deliver Buck-a-Ride for all public transit riders, making life more affordable for Ontario families while reducing traffic jams and greenhouse gas emissions.#The choice is yours #onpoli https://t.co/yioxR35pub
—Steven DelDuca (@StevenDelDuca) May 2, 2022
The plan includes reducing all individual public transportation fares to $1 and reducing monthly metro passes to just $40 through at least January 2024.
Del Duca says his government, if elected, would implement the program within the first 100 days of taking office.
This, Liberals say, would take an average of 400,000 cars off the road each day without hurting the bottom line of any regional or municipal transit agency.
The TTC, for example, would not lose $2.25 of each current $3.25 rate; the government would simply cover the additional cost (more than $1) for the passengers. Veterans would travel completely free.
“Under our plan, someone who hops on the GO train from Oakville to a Blue Jays game will save almost $20 round-trip. And a traveler who takes the GO from Whitby to Toronto will save more than $300.” a month”. Del Duca said in a statement Monday.
“Ontario Liberals offer a choice. With Ford Conservatives, Ontario wastes billions on a highway that won’t be completed in a decade and won’t make a difference in travel times. With our Ontario Liberal plan, people you’ll get immediate relief for your trip and in your wallet.”
Doug Ford wants to invest $10 billion in a highway that doesn’t reduce travel time or take cars off the road, demolishing our greenbelt to do so.
More congestion, more pollution and less green spaces.
After the number of pandemic passengers is reduced, the gridlock increases. @OntLiberal wants to reverse that. pic.twitter.com/nO4AuLvuWy— Julie Lutete (@JulieLutete) May 2, 2022
The plan is estimated to cost about $710 million in 2022-23 and about $1.1 billion in 2023-24, with an additional $375 million each year earmarked for transit operations: extended hours of service, better intercity connections, accessibility improved and the creation of even more routes
Del Duca was quick to borrow Ford’s “buck-a” convention, declaring in Monday’s statement that “the lowest priced beer on the LCBO website is $1.65.”
“Unlike Doug Ford’s broken promise of ‘buck-a-beer’, we will offer ‘buck-a-ride’ for all public transport passengers,” Del Duca said, clearly taking aim at the prime minister, whose controversial plans to roads have come under increasing criticism in recent months.
The official 31-day campaign period for Ontario’s 2022 general election begins this Wednesday, May 4, but party leaders began hunting for votes with big platform points weeks ago.
From free prescription birth control Y multi-home taxes for eliminating HST from prepared foods under $20It will be interesting to see what people vote for this time, and how much of what we were promised actually comes to pass.
Reference-www.blogto.com