12-06-2021, 11:54 AM
Free transit rides for kids in Guelph means better access to services, mayor says
Mayor Guthrie gets it. I had a bit of back and forth with one of our Regional Councillors the other year when they voted to remove the children's discount. The councillor wouldn't acknowledge the argument that making it easier for parents to make transit part of their kids' lives is positive for building future ridership, and just kept repeating that not that many families would be impacted by the fare hike as not that many kids take transit.
Quote:"It introduces it to them now, they get used to it, they become long term users of transit and that helps not only families and maybe the bottom line with costs, [but] it also teaches them how useful the transit system can be and it also talks about climate change mitigation."
Mayor Guthrie gets it. I had a bit of back and forth with one of our Regional Councillors the other year when they voted to remove the children's discount. The councillor wouldn't acknowledge the argument that making it easier for parents to make transit part of their kids' lives is positive for building future ridership, and just kept repeating that not that many families would be impacted by the fare hike as not that many kids take transit.