THUNDER BAY — Poverty Free Thunder Bay believes the free bus service the city has provided during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of transportation to low-income individuals.
It's launched a survey to help convince council to continue waiving bus fares on at least a limited basis over the long term.
Council recently approved a plan to end the free service on July 20. The transit service has lost about $400,000 in revenue monthly since fares were waived three months ago.
In a statement Monday, Poverty Free Thunder Bay, a grassroots organization, said COVID-19 did "what lobbying and logic and Doug Ford could not do – it temporarily removed bus fares and the burden they place on low-income people."
Its survey seeks to find what this has meant to people who use public transit service to get groceries, go to work or attend medical appointments.
"The survey is to find out if there's a need for it, and I believe, personally, that there is," Poverty Free Thunder Bay spokesperson Tracey Mackinnon told Tbnewswatch.
"We realize the city is losing money but this could be a small hand up for people living in poverty. I don't know if city council actually gets it. They don't live in poverty," Mackinnon said.
She added "To buy that monthly punch pass, that's expensive. It could be between buying a pass, which is, what $44, and buying fresh fruit and veggies for a couple of weeks or a month. It shouldn't come down to that."
Mackinnon hopes transit users take the short time that's required to complete the survey before July 20.
Poverty Free Thunder Bay plans to ask council to start by establishing a "no fares" day once a month post COVID-19, then expanding to once a week.
"When the benefits are clear to all, we will work for 'no fares' on public transit," the statement said.
