Gatineau's transit commission has announced it will hike bus fares to help deal with the rising cost of fuel.
"The STO must act immediately to deal with this additional expenditure to avoid having to reduce the services offered to the public and to maintain quality," STO
Chairwoman Louise Poirier said in a news release issued Friday. "Unfortunately, we don't have a choice and must introduce an increase this year."
Bus riders can expect to see a four per cent increase to fares starting in September.
The change will raise the price of a monthly bus pass from $71 to $74. The cash fare for bus rides is also set to rise from $3 to $3.15 per ticket.
The transit commission made the decision to raise fares at a special meeting Friday morning after learning the skyrocketing cost of fuel will likely cause a $2.6 million cost overrun by the end of 2008.
The City had earmarked $6 million for fuel in its 2008 budget when the cost of diesel was 97 cents per litre. Now, the City is faced with costs that sit at about $1.36 per litre.
The STO says it has joined eight other Quebec public transit corporations to request financial assistance from the provincial government to help them deal with escalating fuel costs.
