Editor:
With regard to M. Wells’ letter questioning the upcoming free transit for people up to age 18 vs. seniors: I’d like to point out that low-income seniors can already ride almost for free. The Seniors Bus Pass costs just $45/year. Eligibility is based on the previous year’s taxable income. One doesn’t have to be desperately poor to qualify. It covers not just bus service on the Sunshine Coast but the entire Lower Mainland. In addition, we seniors get such perks as free ferry service Mondays to Thursdays and exemption from service charges at Sunshine Coast Credit Union. (Even people on Disability Benefits don’t get that last one.) While many seniors struggle, due to the out-of-control housing situation and inflation in general so do many other categories of people.
Free bus service for people under 18 benefits not only them, but their parents, who won’t have to chauffeur their kids around so much. It will be a godsend to transit-dependent parents of young children who have reached the age where they can’t ride for free anymore. Children and teenagers often have no money of their own and may be too young to drive. The more people are encouraged to use public transit, the better it is for the environment. This is a win-win all round!
Sincerely,
Anne Miles
Gibsons
