Ontario NDP Transit critic calls on province to pay fair share of transit operating costs

QUEEN’S PARK — Jessica Bell, Ontario NDP Transit critic, called on the provincial government to match municipal funding for public transit operations and maintenance at a press conference this morning.

Bell’s private member’s motion, Better Transit Now, would commit the government to doing just that. The motion will be debated and up for a vote in the legislature on Thursday afternoon.

“The provincial government used to fund 50 per cent of the operating costs of transit,” said Bell. “Then the Harris Conservatives scrapped that contribution, and the Liberals refused to reinstate it.”

Bell was joined at the press conference by representatives from ATU Canada and advocacy group TTCRiders. Her motion will be considered just ahead of the TTC’s annual budget, which is anticipated later this week.

“People who count on transit in Ontario deserve accessible, fast, and reliable service at an affordable price,” and Bell. “If this government is truly committed to helping commuters and helping solve congestion, it should support my motion tomorrow to properly fund transit so that riders can get relief now.”