[van-announce] TransLink Steals Millions from Bus Riders

[Yang Chang]

**** July 13, 2004 ****
** 
*TransLink Steals Millions from *
*Bus Riders **for Privatized RAV Line

*    The Bus Riders Union condemns TransLink's decision to increase 
fares and to proceed with a two billion dollar rail line from Vancouver 
to Richmond (the RAV line).  The Bus Riders Union plans to wage 
a massive campaign to stop the fare increase which comes into effect on 
April 1, 2005.  The campaign will be launched at a public meeting at the 
Vancouver Public Library (Central Branch, Alma Vandusen Room), on 
Saturday July 24 at 1 PM.

    "TransLink is robbing the poor to give to the rich," says Bus Riders 
Union organizer Jennifer Efting.  "With another fare increase this 
coming April, they plan to take $40 million dollars out of the pockets 
of bus riders over the next three years.  Bus riders are 
mostly low-income people, who already struggle to survive in the face of 
stagnant wages, high unemployment and cuts to social program.  Where is 
our money going?  It's going directly into the pockets of big business 
owners who will make tens of millions of dollars in profit from RAV-line 
contracts."

    "This is the third fare increase in 5 years.  With yet another hike, 
fares will have increased more than 40%!  It's an attack on the right to 
mobility of transit-dependent people in this region who are 
mostly low-income, majority women and disproportionately immigrants, 
Aboriginal people and other people of colour.  This process of 
increasing fares for bus riders while cutting services 
to transit-dependent communities is unjust, it's bad public policy.  The 
fact that the money taken from bus riders is going to line the pockets 
of big corporations clarifies TransLink's real priorities."

    "What we're hearing from bus riders is that they are fed up," 
concludes Efting.  "The buses are overcrowded, the waits are long, and 
the fares are already too high!  People aren't going to stand idly by 
while TransLink hikes the fares again."

    The Bus Riders Union is a grassroots organization with over 400 
members throughout the region.  In March 2004 the Bus Riders Union won 
the campaign for Night Owl bus service, with full Night Owl service 
slated to be restored by September.

/For more information contact the BRU office at 604 215 2775 or e-mail
//bru AT resist.ca/

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