Calgary Transit Bus (Photo credit - Keith Driver)
The potential changes to Calgary transit pricing were presented to the city’s infrastructure and planning committee on Thursday. Calgary Transit has not confirmed that this is the direction they 100% want to go, but the potential changes laid out could see the transit system adopt “Uber-like” surge pricing for large events in the city, and peak travel times.
Fares tied to rush hour times could mean that a ticket costs extra for the morning rush. The agency plans to consult transit riders in the near future and return to city council early next year with a strategy for approval.
Another option on the table could be a “Tap on, Tap Off” system that charges riders based on the time spent on transit. Systems like this exist, like in the GO Train in the Greater Toronto Area, and if transit riders in Calgary don’t tap off, they could be charged the maximum fare for their trip.
Despite concerns about suburban riders being disproportionately affected, city councilmen Andre Chabot said “If I have to drive my car and I have to go 1,000 miles versus having to drive 100 miles, then obviously I’m going to pay more to go 1,000 miles,”. If implemented, Calgarians could see validator machines being installed on busses, which would only take about a year.
Calgarians could then simply tap a debit or credit card, like in other Canadian major cities.
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