Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford has come forward with his proposed budget cuts for the TTC to save the city $100 million for 2012. The Toronto Transit Commission is being hit the hardest:
- At least 422 layoffs
- 10 cent fare increase on tokens
- Reduced service
By January 2012, Torontonian’s will be paying more money for longer waits to get on overcrowded buses, streetcars and subways.
New Democrat Party leader Andrea Horwath has called for a “cease on TTC cuts until after the provincial election.”
In a press release held at Ossington station, Horwath stated “A New Democrat government would match the municipal transit operating subsidy on a dollar-for-dollar basis, providing long-term, reliable operating support to municipalities. In exchange, municipalities would be required to freeze transit fares for four years
She continues, “The working mom who needs to take the bus home and feed the kids needs better transit, not more cuts and higher fares.”
NDP is taking control of a detrimental situation for Toronto. The future of the TTC has always been a crucial issue, as it is the most used route of transit for city dwellers. It becomes an essential service. While support for Ford is diminishing as his city plans are transpiring, NDP is essentially trying to save the city of Toronto by basing their platform on the TTC budget. They want to provide provincial assistance with transit funding.
This brings me to a couple questions:
Do you think that Andrea Horwath’s platform on “making life affordable,” could be strong enough to win the provincial election?
If NDP is not elected, does this mean that residents of Toronto do not care about the TTC service?
