Letter-writing time again!
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=c9485074-7a69-4ce5-85d2-a59831753ce8&k=79364
Mohammed Adam
Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, January 27, 2007
A $600,000 program that subsidizes bus passes for thousands of people with disabilities could be eliminated as the city looks to make up a $95-million revenue shortfall while freezing taxes.
The pilot project, which began last year, has allowed about 4,000 people with disabilities to pay $28.25 for an adult bus pass, rather than the regular $71.25.
Despite its success, the program will die in June unless it is approved as part the city’s regular budget. Advocates for the disabled want the subsidy to continue, but so far there are no guarantees the program will be saved.
“It is certainly in jeopardy because it was a trial that wasn’t in the regular system. We have to make a determination whether to continue the program or not,” Councillor Marianne Wilkinson said.
The first test will come Wednesday, when the city’s transit commission takes up the issue. The panel will evaluate the success of the project and make a recommendation to council.
The program, which began last March, allowed people on the Ontario Disability Support Program to buy the discounted passes to ride regular buses instead of Para Transpo. It has allowed people with physical, developmental, psychiatric and other disabilities to enjoy more freedom, independence and an improved quality of life.
A report to be tabled at the committee shows the program has been a great success, with 73 per cent of respondents in a survey saying they now get around the city more easily. Users say the program has been empowering, allowing them to participate in more activities, visit friends and family more often and save money.
But because the transit subsidy is a one-time program and not part of the city’s long-term budget commitment, Ms. Wilkinson says its future remains uncertain. Ottawa was one of two large Canadian cities to offer the program, and some consider it a frill that, in a tough budget year, should not be funded. It is not part of a slew of social programs that council promised earlier this month to protect from budget cuts after hearing from dozens of community groups.
“It will become a cost in the budget that we will have to find money for,” said Ms. Wilkinson, who is vice-chair of the transit commission.
“I support it, but it is not absolutely certain that it will continue.”
Re: Disabled could lose subsidized bus passes (Saturday, January 27, 2007)
Elimination of the subsidized bus pass program for ODSP recipients has nothing to do with avoiding "revenue shortfalls", at least not in the long-term. It has already been well established that paratransit operations cost the city far more in subsidies as compared to the cost of subsidizing regular bus passes (http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/archives/rmoc/Regional_Transit/23Jun99/tcm23june.html). Additionally, the number of ODSP recipients is relatively small (only approximately 20% of Ontarians with disabilities: http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/publications/ODSPCaseload.htm), so it is not as if the majority of the disabled community is getting a "free ride" anyway. Furthermore, access to reliable public transit (which does *not* include paratransit) is what allows so many disabled Ottawans to work (yes work!) and shop and thus contribute to the local economy.
So we have to ask, what is the *real* motivation behind the proposed cut to the subsidized bus pass program? Is the "nix it, don't fix it" approach to public transit that council is so fond of recently? Is it the disdain that this city has towards the environment (e.g. while the major road where I live is bare, sidewalk snow removal has been almost nil, making car travel the only viable option in my downtown neighbourhood)? Is it the perceived (and incorrect) notion that disabled people are a burden or inconvenience to the rest of society?
If anything, it is the disabled community who currently subsidize public transit for the rest of the city, not the other way around. Since not all OC Transpo busses are currently accessible, nor are accessibility features always available (either due to physical breakdown or "driver reluctance"), fewer busses are available to disabled passengers, who thus end up paying *more* on a per trip basis already.
I implore this city's council and citizens, let us not view the subsidized bus pass program as a "fringe benefit" for an otherwise incorrectly-labelled "unproductive" segment of citizens. Subsidizing bus passes goes far beyond a "nice to have" for the disabled community - it has economic impacts for the city far beyond elimination of the program.