Children can ride OC Transpo for free starting July 1

An OC Transpo bus turns onto Elgin St. from Wellington St. in downtown Ottawa, Ont. in this undated photo. (Photo by Shubham Sharan on Unsplash)

OC Transpo will celebrate Canada Day with the start of free transit for children under the age of 12.

Council approved the no-charge transit for all children and youth ages 12 and under as part of the 2023 city of Ottawa budget.

OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar told the Transit Commission on Thursday morning that starting July 1, kids 12 and under will be able to board OC Transpo buses and the O-Train for free.

"When this change comes into effect, children 12 and under will be able to board a bus without showing any fare card or proof of age," Amilcar said. "At O-Train stations, children will be able to enter s fare gate along with a paying customer by following closely behind them through one of the accessible fare gates."

Amilcar says passengers will not be required to show proof of age, but parents can obtain a child photo ID card from the OC Transpo customer service centre at the Rideau Station. The photo ID card will allow children to access fare gates at O-Train stations.

A motion from Coun. Riley Brockington during the 2023 budget debate estimated transit fares paid by passengers 8 to 12 years old generated $174,000 in fare revenue. 

Transit is currently free for children under the age of 7.

March ridership

OC Transpo hit its ridership targets in March, with six million customer trips on the O-Train and buses.

Ridership in March was up from 5.5 million customer trips in January and 5.3 million trips in February.

However, OC Transpo posted a deficit in fare revenue in March.

A report for the Transit Commission says fare revenue was $11.9 million in March, short of the $13.2 million fare budget set in the 2023 budget.