Vancouver city council has approved a motion to explore a $25-a-month transit pass for residents earning less than $40,000 a year.
The motion, introduced by Coun. Sean Orr, calls on city staff to work with TransLink to determine the cost and funding structure for a potential low-income transit pass. It also asks Mayor Ken Sim to advocate to the provincial government for support.
The proposed program is intended to make public transit more affordable while improving ridership and equity. However, the pass is not available yet and would require cooperation between the city, TransLink and the province.
Transit advocates are also calling for the province to expand its existing BC Bus Pass program to cover more low-income residents.