The Ontario government will be cutting a subsidy that provides discounted fares for riders using both GO Transit and Toronto’s transit system in the same trip.
Regional transit agency Metrolinx is now trying to work with the Toronto Transit Commission to keep the program running.
The Discounted Double Fare was created by the previous Liberal government in 2017 and offers riders using both transit systems or the Union-Pearson Express in a single trip a $1.50 discount on a TTC fare.
The Liberals paid $18.5-million a year to offset the cost of the discount for both transit agencies but the current Progressive Conservative government says the funding was designed to be temporary and will not be renewed next year.
Metrolinx says in a letter to the TTC that it wants to come to a new agreement on a cost-sharing model to save the program since it will no longer be getting direct funding from the province.
The TTC’s chief executive says in a report that without the provincial cash, the continuation of the program could create “unanticipated budget pressures” for the agency.
Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.