With more people expected to use public transit again as restrictions are loosened across the province, BC Transit has announced fare changes in the Comox Valley, Campbell River and Port Alberni.
The bus company previously announced the reinstatement of front-door loading and fare collecting amid the pandemic, and now they are making fare and pass changes.
Starting June 1, residents in these Island communities will be able to buy a DayPASS right when they board a conventional transit bus for $4 or in exchange for two bus tickets.
“This will make it more convenient to ride the bus all day,” said BC Transit in a release on Friday.
With the introduction of DayPASSes, transfers are no longer available.
The fares for handyDARTs are also changing, with new fares in each city, starting June 1.
In the Comox Valley, monthly passes for handyDART services will increase by $3 from $52 to $55.
“This increase is to align handyDART pricing with conventional fares to promote equity across services,” said BC Transit.
In Campbell River, handyDART fares are going down, with cash fares lowering 50 cents to $2, and ticket prices will decrease by $2.50, from $12.50 to $10.
Prices for handyDART services in Port Alberni are also going down to $2, regardless of the distance from the city boundary.
In the Comox Valley, the fare change will also see the expansion of the local semester pass to include youth and post-secondary students and maintain the $115 price.
The last fare change in the Comox Valley was in September 2018, according to BC Transit.
Campbell River released a table of its new fares, shown below.
A table showing the current price of fares, and the new prices to be implemented on June 1 in Campbell River
Port Alberni also changed the prices of its passes and fares, shown in the table below.
A table showing the fare changes BC Transit made for Port Alberni, effective June 1.
The upcoming fare changes across the Island were approved and scheduled prior to the no-fare collection initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. BC Transit says the changes were postponed until now.
“These changes are in line with the BC Transit Fare Strategy and improve the funding sustainability for the Transit System,” explained the bus company.
Prior to June 1, BC Transit’s response to COVID-19 included rear door boarding where available and not collecting fares on buses.
BC Transit will also be installing vinyl panels on all buses without a full driver door, which will allow for a return to fare collection and front door loading in all systems on June 1.
Rebecca Lawrence
