Ottawa gives the green light to free transit in December
The city of Ottawa has released new details on its plan to give OC Transpo customers free transit in December.
A memo outlining the plan came hours after the Confederation Line returned to service following a 54-day shutdown.
"From December 1 to 31, fare gates at all O-Train stations will be opened and fare boxes and smartcard readers on all OC Transpo buses will be covered," transit services general manager Renee Amilcar said in the memo to council.
Mayor Jim Watson proposed the idea of free transit in December back in September. soon after the LRT shut down on Sept. 19. Council approved a motion last month to give riders free transit in December in recognition of the disruption caused by the O-Train shutdown, as long as full service resumed on the O-Train.
Amilcar said monthly December passes will not be sold.
“Presto customers with auto-renew subscriptions will see a one-cent charge, which will be credited back to their account. January monthly passes will go on sale in mid-December."
All Para Transpo trips during December will be free.
O-Train service launched on Friday with seven trains running, with three spares in the yard. Amilar notes OC Transpo has committed to increasing the number of trains available for service, with full service expected to be in place by the end of November.
Eleven trains are currently required for full service to meet demand.
Watson had said the $7.2 million cost of the no-charge transit in December will be covered by funds from the project agreement with Rideau Transit Group.
"With full LRT service expected by the end of the month, and in line with Allan Hubley's motion, I'm pleased to confirm that OC Transpo will offer no-charge transit for the O-Train, OC Transpo buses and Para Transpo in December," said Watson on Twitter.
"A regular monthly fare holder will save over $122 while helping out small businesses rebound from the pandemic during the holiday season."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.