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The Case For A Fare-Free BC (harland.substack.com)

submitted 11 months ago by Beaver@lemmy.ca to c/britishcolumbia@lemmy.ca

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[–] Ulrich_the_Old@lemmy.ca -3 points 11 months ago (3 children)

This could be funded by ending translink.

[–] Canadian_anarchist@lemmy.ca 5 points 11 months ago

You clearly have not experienced the service of BC transit, the company that manages the rest of the province. If you like buses that barely run on Sundays, often don't show up, and routes that seem haphazard, BC Transit is for you.

[–] Frumple@lemm.ee 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

And then replace TransLink with what exactly?

[–] Ulrich_the_Old@lemmy.ca 1 points 11 months ago

Do not replace them remove them. Bus drivers know how to drive busses and they would still know how to drive busses if they were employed by the City of Vancouver or any other city. WE do not need a whole other level of government just for transit.

[–] villasv@lemmy.ca 2 points 11 months ago

I don't understand. Ending Translink to fund who?

[+] uzi@lemmy.ca -9 points 11 months ago (2 children)

That won't happen without taking more of people's pay through higher income tax, higher sales tax, or all residents paying a new tax, to cover the cost of it.

[–] nik282000@lemmy.ca 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That's the idea, everyone pays into it and everyone uses it!

[+] uzi@lemmy.ca -7 points 11 months ago (2 children)

That is a reflection of your lifestyle. It will never happen. Life is a lot better owning a vehicle. Married families with careers owning 2 vehicles. Between work, shopping, needing to get around town due to obligations outside of work, transit is not an option. Try arguing that everyone must use transit when you are raising 3 or 4 children.

[–] chiisana@lemmy.chiisana.net 6 points 11 months ago

Vehicle owners benefit greatly from public transit. Anyone group on the public transit system is a vehicle off the road making it easier for the other drivers. The tax needs to be knowledge driven; drivers, especially those who are opposed to public transit, are the ones that need to be taxed the most.

[–] CanadianCorhen@lemmy.ca 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

If public transit was more powerful, there would be less traffic on the road (which is good for drivers), less road maintenance needed (which is good for drivers) more parking available (which is good for drivers)...

[–] Someone@lemmy.ca 2 points 11 months ago

I'm in a small town and transit currently sucks, with all the planning and extra hours it would take to get anywhere, it's not worth it. If it was free, I'd definitely take it more often and spontaneously. Back when it was free in 2020 I hopped on a few times when I didn't feel like walking home.

[+] uzi@lemmy.ca -6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

No, because of different famiky members needing ti get to different cities without transfering, life is easier for everybody to own their own vehicle. There is greater personal freedom with owning a car or truck. More can get done in less time. Having children, teenagers, and parents, transit does not work. The more privately owned vehicles thIt's strictly idealogues who are not raising a family who push so hard for transit.

[–] rbesfe@lemmy.ca 5 points 11 months ago

Personal vehicles are a terribly inefficient way to move lots of people. There's no freedom in being stuck in traffic for 3 hours, and transit is really quite good anywhere around Vancouver. If you live out in the sticks, stay out of public transit conversations.

[–] CanadianCorhen@lemmy.ca 2 points 11 months ago

Even with what you said, that doesn't change the fact that if OTHER people are taking transit, it still benefits the people who aren't taking transit, which is what my comment was addressing.

if 10% of people took transit instead of driving, then there would be 10% fewer people on the road, 10% fewer cars in parking lots, 10% less maintenance... all of which benefits you.

[–] TheFeatureCreature@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Could easily be done. Just take away all that money that is funnelled into the pockets of the Translink c-suite.

[–] uzi@lemmy.ca -1 points 11 months ago

And being a private corporation, if their money is taken they could shut down Translink and go out out of business. As long as it has private ownership, they can cancel all transit services anytime they want if the money is cancelled.

No government legislation can stop a private business from shutting down. Transit will only be free by raising everybody's taxes to take more of everybody's money, as I said through higher sales taxes and/or higher income taxes for all people.