Toronto residents on social assistance or with disabilities will be the first to receive a new transit discount as part of the city’s poverty reduction strategy.
“It is transit which connects people to opportunity and this initiative will help more Torontonians with opportunity and affordability in our city,” Mayor John Tory told reporters at a press conference in Toronto on Tuesday.
The discount, which is called the Fair Fare Pass, will be applied to PRESTO cards beginning on Wednesday.
Transit users will get a $1 discount off the adult fare for a single ride and a $30.75 discount off a monthly adult Metropass.
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“The Fair Fare Pass is the single biggest 2018 initiative in our poverty reduction strategy to help low-income families and adults,” Tory said.
“Low-income adults aged 20 to 64 pay the highest TTC fares, since there hasn’t been, until now, any discount for this particular age group.”
Transit officials said 150,000 residents who are receiving social assistance from Ontario Works or who are on the Ontario Disability Support Program are eligible for the discount.
Tory said the city is investing $4.6 million this year to implement the plan.
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Officials said the discount will be extended to residents receiving housing supports and child care fee subsidies next year and those in the lowest income tax bracket will be eligible for the discount in 2020.
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