Cornwall Transit fare hike will affect non-cash payers

CORNWALL – Cornwall Transit’s “modest” fare increase will only affect people using non-cash payment methods.

Supervisor Jean Marcil told the city’s budget committee Tuesday afternoon, transit passes and transit tickets will go up by $1 “across the board” starting in May.

The cash fare will stay at $3.

Marcil says ridership has dropped to about a third of normal ridership – about 900 people a day – and they are mostly essential workers.

Asked why the budget has a forecast of a five per cent increase, Marcil says it’s “necessary for Safe Restart Funding.” Cornwall received $687,352 in August 2020 from the program.

It’s expected to cost $6.2 million to run Cornwall Transit this year, a 5.4 per cent increase from 2020.