Halifax NS, July 2019 - Vulnerable Seniors citizens are being thrown under the bus ? After a private internal Study, some Halifax Councillors now claim that the Seniors and old-age pensioners who ride the public transit system are mostly well-off? And so, based on findings of a study and led by Marc Santilli, (Halifax Transit manager of technical services),, it seems that seniors and pensioners have been placed squarely in the cross-hairs of a new devious ticket pricing scheme presented to the Halifax Transportation Standing Committee recommending the somewhat sacrilegious termination of the timeless and iconic 'Seniors fare category' that's been an institution in transit ticket pricing ever since the birth of public transit thats always been given to Senior citizens, veterans, and old-age pensioners, etc. etc. out of age, respect, and financial consideration for the elders on fixed or limited incomes ? In addition, Council's plan will force this same targeted Seniors group to pay an unprecedented 60 percent ticket price hike on tickets purchased henceforth by implementing a price increase from 1.75 to 2.75 ? Councillors contend that they will then use the resulting revenues raised from both the end of the current Seniors fare rate ( the traditional 'student fare' will not be touched ), and the staggering Sixty percent ticket rate hike burden placed solely on the backs of the singled out Seniors, to be then used to fund the enormous costs of allowing their own Children/Grandchildren (and all other Children in the City under the age of 12 ) to gain the generous new benefit, privilege and advantage of being allowed to take unlimited transit rides to anywhere in the city they want, at any time they want,, for absolutely free ? Many seniors, pensioners, veterans and disabled citizens (who may be about to lose the status, benefit and recognition of honored bus rider with privileged Seniors rate of fare entitlement ), are not looking forward to being forced by the City into having to take extra long walks or sacrifice food and/or medicine in order to pay for the throngs of freeloading youngsters that are about to begin: Taxing the bus system with numerous unnecessary bus rides because they're free ; Over-crowding limited available bus seating during rush hours ; Slowing down the entire transit operation due extra starts and stops required to load and unload all the new passengers, and, Distracting and delaying bus drivers with the added workload of ID checks and an increase in passenger behavior reminders/reprimands due to added noise, confusion and commotion in the confined interior of the narrow bus enclosures, after the Metro bus and ferry transit system is transformed by Council into some kind of free and complimentary traveling Children's playground and mobile baby sitting service ?
