A low-income transit pass will be included in the City of Ottawa’s 2017 budget.
Mayor Jim Watson made the announcement Oct. 4 with chair of the Transit Commission Coun. Stephen Blais.
“The low income transit pass will provide a more viable transit option for our working individuals who live on low wages,” Watson said in a release from his website. “By offering a low income transit pass, the City is helping those who would otherwise not be able to afford to get around the City, either to maintain or find meaningful employment, or access healthcare.”
According to the Mayor, the new pass could help as many as 8,800 low-income transit users who live at or below the low-income cutoff.
The pass would be available to residents that have an annual individual income of around $20,000 or less, or who have a family income of approximately $38,000 for four people.
The exact discount of the pass won’t be revealed until the budget is tabled by city council on Nov. 9. The pass will take effect in the first three months of 2017.