Starting September 1st, children 12 and under in Victoria will be able to ride BC Transit for free as part of a pledge from the provincial government toward family transit accessibility.
For families who purchase a monthly bus pass for a child 12 and under, this new initiative means savings of $35 a month. BC Transit says this could add up to a savings of $420 per year.
“Providing safe, reliable and affordable public transportation is our top priority, and we support this program to help families get around more affordably,” said Erinn Pinkerton, President and CEO of BC Transit, “This is a great opportunity to grow young ridership, create lifelong transit users and further reduce congestion on our roads.”
The initiative was first announced in April, during a provincial 2021 budget announcement.
During this announcement, the NDP government said they would be allocating $26 million dollars of BC’s 2021 budget towards projects they say will offer affordable transportation for families.
The free fare applies to any public transit system in BC, including TransLink (and HandyDart) and BC Transit.
It is anticipated about 340,000 children across the province will have access to free transit starting next week.
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