TTC boycott aims to protest rising fares
Last Updated: Thursday, November 12, 2009 | 9:13 PM ET
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A Toronto woman is trying to persuade people to boycott the TTC on Friday to protest rising fares.
The TTC commission is set to vote Tuesday on proposed fare hikes across the board. Under the new rates recommended by the TTC, a single fare would jump to $3 from $2.75, and the price of a monthly Metropass would increase to $126 from $109.
Meanwhile, student and senior fares would increase to $2 from $1.85 and children’s fares would go to 75 cents from 70 cents.
Nicole Winchester, the protest organizer, has asked people to stay off buses, streetcars and subway trains for 24 hours Friday. She hopes the boycott will show the TTC how many riders it would lose if it instituted the fare increases.
As of Thursday evening, more than 2,700 people on a Facebook page set up by Winchester said they would take part in the boycott .
"I don't know, I have to work," said TTC rider Diana Tan, when asked if she would take part in the boycott. "I live so far in Scarborough. If I boycott it, how do I get downtown?"
The TTC is facing a shortfall of about $100 million in next year's operating budget, according to TTC chairman Adam Giambrone.
He has ruled out any cuts to service to bridge the gap, so TTC staff determined the only other option was a fare hike.
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