Watson pushes for free transit for all riders in December
CTV
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says he will be pushing to make transit service in the city free for all riders this December.
The mayor made the announcement in an interview with CTV Ottawa Chief News Anchor Graham Richardson that will air in full at 6 p.m.
He said he and transit chair Coun. Allan Hubley would put a motion forward at Wednesday's city council meeting to come up with a plan.
"We will be putting forward a motion tomorrow at council that directs the city manager to come up with a plan that would allow the month of December to be a no-charge month for all of our passengers," he said. "People will not have to pay the fee, they would not have to buy a pass. We say in December because that will also help the retail industry and Christmas shoppers and people who go out to parties and have a drink or two to use the service at no charge."
Watson said the money to cover a month of service at no charge to the passengers would come from the funds that would have been sent to the Rideau Transit Group. The city has the power under its contract to withhold funding from the consortium that built and maintains the Confederation Line if a certain level of service is not met.
