The proposed new $78.50 monthly fee will be discussed at a transit committee meeting on Monday.
After hearing the grinding wheels of anger, the City of Ottawa’s transit committee is preparing to meet the city’s senior bus riders halfway.
On Nov. 25, the full committee will digest a motion to charge seniors $78.50 per month to ride OC Transpo, a drop from the $108 that was proposed in the 2025 draft budget earlier in the month.
The information, proposed by the transit’s long range financial planning group, was included in an email Mayor Mark Sutcliffe sent to councillors on Nov. 22.
“This fare level ensures we continue to protect affordability for seniors and aligns more closely with other senior fares in Ontario,” Sutcliffe wrote.
Those over 65 currently pay $49 per month, and the original steep hike to $108 — part of a much larger plan to deal with OC Transpo’s colossal $120-million shortfall — set off a wave of protest.
Accordingly, Sutcliffe and the transit committee recognized that an adjustment was necessary.
The new $78.50 fee would represent a 42 per cent savings from the 2025 regular adult fare of $135. If passed by the transit committee, it will be included as part of the final budget that the full city council will vote on Dec. 11.
Whether the change gets all of the seniors back on board is a matter of perspective.
Seniors will still be forking out $29.50 more per month than they have been spending on monthly bus charges, representing a 60 per cent hike.
Across the board, all bus riders will be paying the price for OC Transpo’s financial nightmare, but seniors have been hit harder than others.
The transit committee will also discuss a proposal to continue offering seniors free travel on Wednesdays. Seniors currently ride without paying on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Many seniors have suggested the rising cost of monthly bus fares could result in changing their lifestyles. Instead of purchasing monthly transit passes, they could reduce their trips for shopping, volunteering and other social activities while opting to pay for individual trips instead.
A single trip for seniors will cost $3.10 in 2025, up 20 cents. The standard adult price for one trip is also set to go up 20 cents to $4. For those paying cash, it will be a nickel higher.
One additional option for low-income riders is the EquiPass for those below a low-income threshhold. Those who qualify can purchase monthly passes for $58.25, while single fares are $1.75.
The city also says it will continue to look at possible changes in OC Transpo prices for university and college students.
The 2025 draft budget included a jump in the one-semester price for passes to $240.52, up $11.45 from 2024 fees. The city says the 2025 student rate amounts to $60.13 per month.
“Staff will work collaboratively with post-secondary institutions to negotiate a new fare level and implement any changes,” Sutcliffe wrote in his memo to councillors. “In every case, we are striving to strike a balance to ensure sustainability of transit services while protecting affordability for students, seniors and the most vulnerable.”
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