Halifax NS, July 2019 - Vulnerable Seniors citizens thrown under the bus ? After a private internal Study, Halifax Councillors claim that Seniors and old-age pensioners who ride public transit are mostly well-off ? And so, based on a conclusion made by Marc Santilli, (Halifax Transit manager of technical services),, Seniors and pensioners have been placed squarely in the cross-hairs of a devious ticket pricing scheme presented to the Halifax Transportation Standing Committee recommending the somewhat sacrilegious termination of 'Seniors fare category' always given to Senior citizens, veterans, and old-age pensioners, etc. etc. out of respect, and financial consideration for elders on fixed or limited incomes ? In addition, Council's plan will force Seniors group to pay a 60 percent price hike on tickets purchased by implementing a price increase from 1.75 to 2.75 ? Councillors contend they will then use the resulting revenues from ending the current Seniors fare , ( the traditional 'student fare' will not be touched ), and from the Sixty percent ticket rate hike for Seniors, to be used to fund the enormous costs of allowing their own Children/Grandchildren (and all other Children in the City under the age of 12 ) to gain the privilege and advantage to take unlimited transit rides anywhere in the city they want, at any time they want,, for absolutely free ?
Many seniors, pensioners, veterans and disabled citizens are not looking forward to being forced into taking extra long walks or sacrificing food and/or medicine to pay for throngs of freeloading youngsters to begin: Taxing the bus system with unnecessary bus rides because they're free ; Over-crowding limited available bus seating during rush hours ; Slowing down the entire transit operation due extra starts and stops required to load and unload all the new passengers, and, distracting and delaying bus drivers with the added workload of constant ID checks and the increase in passenger behavior reminders/reprimands due to added noise and commotion in the confined interiors of narrow bus enclosures after the Metro transit system is transformed by this Council into some kind of complimentary traveling Children's playground and free mobile baby sitting service ?
