By Robert Frank
www.thesuburban.com
The province plans to harmonize transit fares from South Shore to Laurentians, Ste. Rose MNA Jean Habel told The Suburban.
“Right now there are more than 500 transit fare structures,” Habel said in an interview, following parliamentary committee hearings on the Liberal government’s Bill 38. “If a Laval resident wants to visit her aunt in Boisbriand or in St. Jérôme, there are very different fares and it’s complicated.”
The draft law calls for a new transit organization that will integrate Laval, Montreal and South Shore transit authorities, as well as a host of smaller transit agencies on the North Shore and in the Laurentians. It will also transfer tax and planning authority to the new umbrella bodies, so that they will no longer have to rely upon handouts from Quebec City.
“Our objective is to streamline public transit with a simpler structure,” Habel explained. “Our long-term vision is to reduce the number of fares and make it easier for commuters to transfer from one transit authority to another in the greater Montreal region.”
“We’re looking at the big picture,” he concluded. “What can we do to address every citizen’s transit needs. It will surely benefit everyone in Laval who uses the train, subway or bus. Whether you need to go to St. Jérôme, Candiac, Mascouche or the West Island, we want to make sure that there’s the right fare for your ride.”
Jean Habel