Why do seniors get a bigger break on bus fare than the poor? They just do

Tina Ford can't afford a bus pass, so she walks everywhere. Now she can't afford to keep herself in running shoes, either.

"They just tear up, I walk so much every day," Ford said of her well-worn shoes. "They get really worn out and it hurts yourfeet."

The farthest she's walked in recent memory was from her Ottawa Community Housing apartment in Sandy Hill to BayshoreShopping Centre for a job interview. She didn't get it.

After losing her jobalmost two years ago, Ford receivedOntario Works assistance, which included money for a bus pass. But when that temporary allowance ran out,she found she could no longer afford an OC Transpo pass noteven the low-income EquiPass, priced at $57.

"I think $57 is way too much," said Ford. "I think it should be 40-something."

Poor pay more

Ford is not alone in that belief.

Even before the EquiPasswas approved last year, advocates for low-income riders pointedout that people receiving disability assistance and seniors paid about $42 and $43 a month respectively. The EquiPass costs roughly$15 more, andlike most OC Transpofaresis set to increase by 2.5 per cent in January.

That the EquiPasshas been woefully under-subscribedsince being made available earlier this yearis proof for advocates that it's too expensive.

But the city has said that without financial help from the province, it cannot offer a deeper discount for low-income fares. It's not that the city doesn't want to help it just can't.

How then can the city afford to giveseniors a large and growing segment of the population such a good deal?

Seniors get to ride free on Wednesdays, a program that appears to be unique to Ottawa. That weekly freebie is valued at $1 million per year. A monthly seniors' pass, at $43.25 instead of $113.75,is discounted by a whopping 62 per cent.

With about 6,900 senior passes sold each month, the value for the discountfor the 65-plus crowd is $5.8 million. If we include free Wednesdays, it's $6.8 million.

The city only set aside $2.7 million to fund the EquiPass, for which the city estimates as many as 8,800 residents are eligible.

Or look at it this way:the discount for the seniors' passes comes out of the transitbudget. But the money to pay for theEquiPasscomes from the community and protective services budget. Why is one group deserving of transit-dollar subsidies, while another is not?

Seniors 'deserve recognition'

There are two main reasons to offer discounts.

Some subsidies are meant to offer incentives to take transit, such as the free parking at OC Transpo's suburban park and rides. Others are meantto help those who need a hand, includinglow-income people and, yes, many seniors. (The city estimates that 2,900 or 40 per cent of senior pass holders live under the low-income cut-off.)

But in an eraof limited resources, it's difficult to see the logic of subsidising a public service based on age alone.

Instead, seniors receive discounts because, well, they just do.

"I think age-based discounts are common in the marketplace today, and I think OCTranspoacts as many businesses in marketplace act," said Coun. Stephen Blais, who chairs the transit commission."And at the moment it's the policy of city council to offer that discount to seniors."

But a publictransit system is hardly analogousto, say,Shoppers Drug Mart.

There's also the notion that seniors haveearned a break.

"One of the reasons why councillors have given a seniors' discount, besides the fact that it's politically attractive, is the fact that seniors have contributed over their working period to the quality of life to the city and deserve some recognition," saidformer transit chair Alex Cullen, who's now with seniors' advocacy group The Council onAging of Ottawa.

Political force

Officials from the City of Kingston haverecentlymused about doing away with seniors' passes and instead moving to a means test.

Good luck to them.

Because perhaps the most powerful incentive for hanging onto seniors' discounts is politics. Seniors vote more than other age groups, and they form a powerful lobby.

That's why it's almost certain no one on Ottawa council will mount a serious campaign to challenge the way fares are discounted; not with an election on the horizon.

Blaisvirtually dared his council colleagues to try it.

"It's not something I support today," he said,"But if someone wants to increase the cost for seniors to ride the bus, I look forward to them bringing that to the table."

Wrong argument

But some advocatessay we're having the wrong argument when we pit seniors against the poor.

Trevor Hachis a transit advocate with the Healthy Transportation Coalition. During last year's debate over fares, he found himself suggesting thecity would find money to lower the EquiPassby siphoning money from the subsidy that makes theseniors' discount possible.

"I think it's important to note that we would never suggest that seniors aren't worthy of a discount," said Hach. "The only reason why we even forced into thinking about that is the city's claim that they didn't have the money in their budget to pay for further discounts for low-income people."

Hachhas offered a number of ideas for how to raise revenue to keep fares low, but most would have an impact on motorists. So far, there are no takers for his suggestions.

He's also lobbied for an increase in property taxes tied to transit, but council has vowed to keep the transit levy increase to 2.5 per cent.

Transit on track to cost more

The city's plan to be able to pay for LRT and other transit services relies on an across-the-board fareto increase of2.5 per cent a year for decades

In the meantime, Tina Ford still walks everywhere.

She recently secured a temporary part-time contract answering the phones overnight at a social service agency. On those rare occasions when she takes the bus, she pays a single fare.

She looks forward to taking advantage of the $1.75 single-ride EquiFarethat'sset to launchnext June.

Still, the lack of a monthly pass means she doesn't go to as many community events and social outings as she'd like.

"I don't go if I don't necessarily have to go."