New price for OC Transpo seniors bus pass on the table

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After hearing the grinding wheels of anger, the City of Ottawa’s transit committee is preparing to meet the city’s senior bus riders almost halfway.

On Nov. 25, the full committee will digest a motion to charge seniors $78.50 per month to ride OC Transpo, a drop from the $108 that was proposed in the 2025 draft budget earlier in the month.

The information, proposed by the transit’s long range financial planning group, was obtained by the Ottawa Citizen on Nov. 22.

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Those over 65 currently pay $49 per month, and the original steep hike to $108 — part of a much larger plan to deal with OC Transpo’s colossal $120-million shortfall — set off a wave of protest.

Accordingly, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and the transit committee recognized that an adjustment was necessary.

The new $78.50 fee would represent a 42 per cent savings from the 2025 regular adult fare of $135.

However, seniors will still be forking out $29.50 more per month than they have been spending on monthly bus charges.

The transit committee will also discuss a proposal to continue offering seniors free travel on Wednesdays. Seniors currently ride without paying on Wednesdays and Sundays.

kwarren@postmedia.com

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