BC Transit will be increasing their fares and are contemplating how to go about rolling out the fare increases.
The company is also considering what to do with a few of their routes and they are now turning to the public for input on how the bus system can best serve them.
Fare increases
BC Transit says they haven’t increased their fares in Victoria since 2010 in an effort to keep the bus cost-efficient and accessible for as many commuters as possible.
Now, however, they have decided that with the increasing operating costs they deal with in Greater Victoria, they have no alternative but to bump the fares.
They say they know they have to increase fees, but they want the public’s help in deciding how they go about the changes.
As it stands, the fees amount to: $2.50 cash fare, $5 DayPASS, $50 monthly concession pass (senior/student passes) and $85 adult pass.
The approved options BC Transit now has to decide between are:
- $2.75 cash fare, $5.50 DayPASS, and $50 concession pass
- $2.75 cash fare, $5.50 DayPASS, and $55 concession pass
- $3.00 cash fare, $6.00 DayPASS, and $55 concession pass
- $3.00 cash fare, $6.00 DayPASS, $90 adult pass and $55 concession pass
BC Transit will be holding three sessions for public engagement and all bus commuters are being encouraged to fill out an online survey to have their voices heard. The survey must be filled out by December 13th.
The in-person engagement sessions will be happening on:
- November 14th from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. at Saanich Commonwealth Place, 4636 Elk Lake Drive
- November 15th from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the Greater Victoria Public Library Central Branch, 735 Broughton Street
- November 16th from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the Juan De Fuca Recreation Centre, 1767 Island Highway
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Route changes
Specifically, the routes that will be impacted are those that help commuters who frequent the Gorge, Burnside, Tillicum and Esquimalt areas are being asked for their opinions.
This move to ask for input by BC Transit is the result of customer feedback, especially regarding the #11 bus route.
The #11 now services the Tillicum Centre-UVic route, but because of the feedback BC Transit has received, they are thinking of reinstating the pre-2022 route the #11 used to run between.
BC Transit wants guidance on where the bus should stop and how it can best serve the bus commuters of Victoria.
Other bus routes BC Transit wants guidance from the public on are:
- Route 9 Royal Oak/UVic
- Route 24 Cedar Hill/Tillicum Centre
- Route 25 Maplewood/Tillicum Centre
- BC Transit will also be seeking feedback on a potential new route that would serve the Admirals/Dockyard/UVic areas
A survey is available until November 12th for those who want to participate and give BC Transit the tools to best help those who frequent these bus routes.
“A key goal of this engagement is to determine what is most important to our customers, whether it is local transit coverage or key regional connections,” wrote a BC Transit spokesperson in a media release.
“The answers will help BC Transit determine how to plan for the future.”
The #11 will see more frequency between buses beginning on January 8th, 2024, but the rest of these changes are expected to be implemented closer to April 2024.
To have your voice heard, fill out the survey here.
