At a time when gas prices are on the rise and local jobs are on the decline, many Durham Region residents will be disheartened to learn they’re also going to be dishing out more cash to ride the bus. Starting yesterday, Durham Region Transit hiked their fees for most riders by 3 per cent—a number approved by regional council.

It’s a figure that sounds like peanuts on the surface but could mean tougher times for those already struggling to get by financially. Transit reps chalk the rise up to increasing fuel costs but with expensive gas hitting everyone, not just public transportation, the increase puts people in a tight spot. In poor economic times, a lot of people turn to public transportation but where do these people turn when public transit starts becoming a drain on the wallet?

And it seems unlikely that increasing fees will ease the cost of DRT’s gas pains. Pricier fares are certain to mean fewer riders and fewer riders mean less of a profit. It’s a vicious circle that only our regional councillors, who let this increase pass, can end.

One transit rep says taking the bus is still cheaper than driving but that doesn’t mean much to people for whom driving is not an option. Most people, able to afford a vehicle, don’t weigh their options and decide that taking a bus is just more economical. In most cases, riders are those who don’t own a vehicle and many people living in the suburbs without a vehicle are doing so because they can’t afford it.

Given that logic, how can they afford an increase in their bus fare? In addition, with all levels of government urging Canadians to live life more“green” and be better friends to the environment, how can the region justify deterring people from public transit, one of those constantly touted remedies, to urban pollution?

And raising fares isn’t the only thing DRT has done to make it tougher to take the bus. In the past year, they’ve made changes to transit schedules, canceling some routes while shortening times for others.

Where some routes once ran until midnight, most now stop at 10 p.m. Bear in mind, Durham adults are expected to pay $2.75, the same price as a ride on Toronto transit, which, in most locations runs until 2 a.m. For the same price, is it unreasonable to expect the same service?

So with a lot of recent job losses and soaring gas prices leading to fewer people unable to afford their vehicles and with DRT increasing fares, again making it difficult for individuals on a tight budget to afford the bus, some Durham Region residents will have little choice but to go even greener—by walking or cycling.