Hamilton, Ont., bus riders with disabilities are getting a six-month grace period to stay on programs offering free and discounted HSR rides that are set to disappear in the new year.
Councillors voted to extend existing initiatives until more data is collected on a permanent transition to a subsidy program that’s expected to offer discounts only to low-income Hamiltonians.
Ward 7 Coun. Esther Pauls, who brought forward the reconsideration motion Wednesday, says she isn’t opposed to a pilot project offering discounts, but insisted more time be given to those who have been using one of two programs currently operating.
“I hope my council colleagues will agree with me that this issue is not merely a financial issue, it is an accessibility issue,” Pauls said.
“We should not fund the new fare system program on the backs of those who are blind or have physical disabilities.”
One program those with disabilities currently qualify for is the Affordable Transit Pass program, offered to low-income customers, Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) recipients who are employed.
The program provides a 50 per cent discount off the adult monthly pass for those aged 18 to 64 who meet the eligibility requirements.
Another is the Temporary Transit Fare Special Program (also known as the Voluntary Pay Program) allows conventional transit customers using a personal mobility device, including wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers, or a Canadian National Institute for the Blind cardholder the option to voluntarily pay a fare.
The HSR is set to implement the new Fare Assist program on Jan. 1 and offer up to 30 per cent discounts to all members of low-income households in the city, including people with health conditions or impairments.
In October, about a half-dozen delegates came before a Public Works Committee and pleaded with the city to keep programs granting them free and discounted HSR fares, citing added costs in a tight economic climate.
Maureen Cosyn Heath, director of the city’s Transit Division, told council that applications for the new Fare Assist program have been coming over the last few weeks but admitted more could be done to “educate” riders that change is coming.
She said “grace” is already something they’ve directed operators to give in the first three months of the new initiative to provide a “softer landing” for those with disabilities.
“So if there is anybody who is boarding the first week of the new year, they’re not caught off guard,” Cosyn Heath said.
“They’re … informed how to apply and have an opportunity to know what the new program is, and what the expectations are.”
Staff estimates the forthcoming Fare Assist will assist some 90,000 who qualify for the discount using Presto cards.
The pilot program will run from Jan. 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026 with all fares being tracked.
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