Transit fares rise today

by Wayne Moore CASTANET - Sep 1, 2015 / 10:44 am
It will cost you more to take a bus in the Central Okanagan today. As of this morning, fares rose 16 per cent for both conventional and community transit and 12 per cent for HandyDart service. The increases were approved by Kelowna city council in March. The increase, the first for Kelowna Regional Transit in three years, will offset rising operating costs and capital improvement costs made during the past couple of years. It will now cost $2.50 across the board for an adult single fare ticket. That's up from $2.25 for adults and college students and $2 for seniors and students up to Grade 12. Children under five still ride free. Adult day passes are now $6.50, up from $6 and $5.50, respectively. Monthly passes jumped to $70 for adults, $55 for college students and $45 for seniors and students up to Grade 12. The HandyDart service will increase by 11 per cent for cash fares ($2.50 from $2.25) and 12 per cent for monthly passes ($75 from $67). According to figures released to council in March, it currently costs slightly more than $20 million to run the regional transit service from Peachland to Lake Country, with revenues of $5.599 million (27 per cent cost recovery). Council's objective has been to hit 30 per cent. However, the latest fare increases will keep cost recovery at 27 per cent.
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Current Vernon Fares can be found at http://bctransit.com/vernon/fares
New Kelowna Fares can be found at http://bctransit.com/kelowna/fares

Kelowna effective Sept 1 2015

Vernon Current rates Sept 1, 2015

Rate hikes everywhere in 2012

by Grant Scott - Castanet  Jan 2, 2012 / 2:00 pm
Tuesday will be the first day that most users of Kelowna transit feel the effects of the January 1 rate hike. The first day of work or school after the holidays means many regular bus riders will pay the increased fee for the first time. Tuesday will be the first day that most users of Kelowna transit feel the effects of the January 1 rate hike. The first day of work or school after the holidays means many regular bus riders will pay the increased fee for the first time. (more)

Fares on Kelowna Transit have not increased since 2007 and part of the justification for this increase is to increase cost recovery in the wake of numerous system improvements made over the last few years. Financial Services Director Keith Grayston told council costs recovery levels have decreased from 35 per cent in 2007 to 26 per cent this year.  Since 2005, Grayston says expenditures to the system have nearly doubled from more than $9M in 2005 to $17.7M in 2010.  Service hours have jumped 55 per cent from 113,000 hours in 2005 to 176,000 in 2010.
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System-wide transit fare increase (Kelowna)

On Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, Kelowna Regional Transit cash fares will increase 25 cents to $2.25. Monthly passes and sheets of 10 tickets will also be affected by the increase. "It has been more than four years since the last fare increase," says Ron Westlake, City of Kelowna Director of Regional Services. "These regular transit fare increases are necessary to cover increasing operating and fuel costs as well as improvements to service." Since the last fare increase in 2007, transit service hours have increased by 21 per cent and 22 buses have been added. This includes introduction of the #97 Express Rapid Bus from downtown to UBC Okanagan (UBCO), #4 from Pandosy to UBCO and #6 Glenmore to UBCO, plus increased service frequencies and duration on many other routes. The Jan. 1 transit fare increase is in line with fares in similar-sized communities, such as Kamloops, Nanaimo ($2.25 for single trip cash fares) and Victoria ($2.50).
New Kelowna Regional Transit fares as of Jan. 1, 2012: 

Kelowna Effective Jan 1, 2012

Vernon Transit Rates

Kelowna Regional Transit Fare Increase

RDCO board highlights by Contributed - Castanet:Jul 15, 2011  

Kelowna Regional Transit Fare Increase - The Regional Board has approved negotiations between the City of Kelowna and University of British Columbia - Okanagan for a proposed rate increase for the U-Pass program.  Any increase would require approval of UBC-O students and the University Board of Governors and would take effect on September 1st, 2012.  After consideration by local municipal councils, the Regional Board will consider a general increase in transit fares and passes for the New Year.  It’s proposed that cash fares for convention transit and handyDART users rise January 1st by 25 cents while monthly passes would go up approximately 12 per cent or $7.00 more for an adult pass.  This would be the first increase in Kelowna Regional Transit fares September 2007.