Mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk promises Winnipeg Transit fare freeze

Mayoral candidate Jenny Motkalukpromises to freeze Winnipeg Transit fares for the next four years.

In a statement issued late Sunday, the Winnipeg business consultant pledged to keep an adult fare at $2.95 for the duration of the next council term as part of a freeze of transit rates across the board.

Transit fares rose 25 cents in 2018 as one measure to contend with a provincial funding freeze for most City of Winnipeg services. Until 2016, the province and city split the non-fare-supportedcost of operating Winnipeg Transit 50-50.

The initial version of the 2018 city budget called for a fare hike as well astransit service cuts, but executive policy committee back away from the latter in the face of a public outcry.

• Council approves 25-cent transit fare hike as 2018 budget passes

Motkalukcalled the fare hike "an appalling cash grab on transit riders" and made no mention of the end of the provincial transit-funding deal in her news release.

Freezing transit rates would require the city to either spend more money on transit to cover incremental increases in operating costsor to cutback on services.

Motkaluk's campaign has not stated how the city would make up for the loss of revenue.Communications director Dave MacKay said in a statement that transit ridership would increase as a result of freezing fares.

"This is another political promise with no plan to pay for it," mayoral candidate Brian Bowman said in a statement.

• Mayoral promises: What the candidates are offering Winnipeg voters

Motkaluk also promised late Sunday to spend $90,000 a year on a pair of city cleanup efforts.

She described the latest promises as the final two of her campaign. Bowman, who is running for re-election, summed up his campaign on Friday.

• Bowman rests his re-election case: Vote for me or place Winnipeg's growth at risk

Winnipeg votes on Wednesday.

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