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Ontario Liberals pledge reducing transit fares to $1 if elected in June

Click to play video: 'Ontario Liberals pitch $1 transit fares until 2024'
Ontario Liberals pitch $1 transit fares until 2024
WATCH: The Ontario Liberal Party is promising to drop transit fares to a buck-a-ride if its wins the provincial election. While it says the pitch will improve transit ridership to pre-pandemic levels, many point out a long-term funding model is needed. Matthew Bingley reports. – May 2, 2022

The Ontario Liberal Party says if elected in June, a Liberal government would slash transit fares across all lines in Ontario to just $1.

Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca made the announcement on Monday.

The pledge promises “immediate relief” on transit within the first 100 days of being elected and the “buck-a-ride” would last until 2024. In addition, monthly passes would be reduced to $40.

The Liberals said the $1 transit pledge would take an average of 400,000 cars off the road every day.

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The price tag on the plan will cost about $710 million in 2022-23, and about $1.1 billion in 2023-24.

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The party also said the lost money will come from the government and not from municipalities.

The Liberals said reducing transit fares would reduce “gridlock and greenhouse gas emissions while making life more affordable for Ontario families.”

“Under our plan, someone hopping on the GO train from Oakville to head in for a Blue Jays game will save nearly $20 on their round trip,” Del Duca said. “And a commuter taking the GO from Whitby to Toronto would save more than $300 a month.”

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