TTC advocacy group releases parody videos, memes protesting budget cuts

What if the TTC charged extra fees to crowdsurf a packed subway or turned off the AC and rebrand the subway as a sauna?

These are just a couple of the “efficiency” suggestions raised during a new tongue-and-cheek campaign called “So Efficient It Hurts” by transit advocacy group TTCriders.

The organization released a new video showing a man dressed as a cowboy herding passengers into a subway car along with several graphics with similar humorous messages.

“We find that people get so grumpy about the TTC and activism. Sometimes we find that humour goes a really long way in getting people interested in getting politically active,” Jessica Bell, executive director of TTCriders, told Global News.

“Humour helps. That was the idea behind it, we can’t be angry all the time – even though we are angry.”

READ MORE: Tory not backing down on request TTC cut budget, though agency struggles to find savings

The campaign comes ahead of a TTC budget committee on Wednesday when the commission will consider its preliminary 2017 TTC budget.

A report going to the committee has identified savings to meet the City of Toronto’s request for a 2.6 per cent budget reduction.

Bell and TTCriders called on the TTC to reinvest any savings and focus on improving service and maintenance.

READ MORE: ‘Not sexy,’ but needed: Funding for TTC repair, improvement projects unveiled

“If you cut service again, ridership is just going to drop even further then fare revenue is going to drop even further and it’s going to kick start this race to the bottom to a crappy transit system.”

Global News attempted to get comment on the campaign from Mayor John Tory’s office and TTC chair Josh Colle, but they were unavailable Monday. The TTC referred questions to Tory and Colle.