Two Winnipeg city councillors are launching a public campaign against a 20-cent transit fare increase that is scheduled to take effect this June.

Councillors Harvey Smith and Ross Eadie say low-income transit users will not benefit from the fare hike, which was passed by city council in November to help fund the city's rapid transit infrastructure.

Coun. Harvey Smith holds up a Fair Bus Fares pamphlet after he talked about the campaign with politics students at the University of Winnipeg late last week. (Megan Benedictson/CBC)

The increase was passed without prior study, after an unexpected motion was made to use the money to speed up construction of the rapid transit system, according to the councillors.

"We're the only city in Canada that's doing it this way and … other cities have not imposed on the users of the transit system. I mean, I think it's cruel," Smith told CBC News.

As part of the Fair Bus Fares campaign, which is being supported by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg and other groups, Eadie and Smith are seeking volunteers to distribute pamphlets that list the names and contact information for all the councillors who voted in favour of the fare increase.

The increase will take effect on June 1, so it's not too late for Winnipeggers — especially those who use transit — to lobby their councillors to reverse it, said Eadie.

"There's nothing to say that city council cannot vote to rescind a motion that was passed in a previous council meeting. Call the politicians [and] let them know that you don't want the 20 cents," Eadie said.

Smith said most low-income transit users won't even benefit from a rapid transit route extension that's being proposed from Pembina and Jubilee to Bison Drive near the University of Manitoba.

The Fair Bus Fares campaign will officially launch this week at the University of Winnipeg.

Smith said he plans to introduce a motion at the next city council meeting to reverse the fare increase, or at least reopen debate on the topic.