Yellowknife ordered to pay back accessible transit users difference in fares

The City of Yellowknife is getting its wrist slapped for continuing to discriminateagainst people with disabilities in its transit faresfollowing a human rights ruling last September.

On Sept. 22, anN.W.T.human rights adjudicator ruled it was unfair of the City of Yellowknife not to offer a monthly pass to users of the accessible transit system, and ordered it to stopusing a fare structure discriminating against persons using public transit on the basis of disability.

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The city then introduced monthly passes for the Yellowknife Accessible Transit System.

Butthe original complainant, Elizabeth Portman, went back to the human rights commission because the citycontinued to offer a discount to people with disabilitiesusing regular transit a $2fare, whenpeople with disabilities using YATS were paying $3 per fare.

Three days before the second hearing last week,the city lowered the fares for users of YATSto $2.

The adjudicator has ordered the city to pay back people who used YATSbetween September and January thedifference in fares.