Consider bus ridership incentives

By Letter to the Editor on November 15, 2017.

Gillian Slade’s recent News editorial (“Return to former transit system will be welcomed,” Nov. 10) was right on with her parallel demographic analogy, referring back to the minimal response to Mayor Ted Clugston’s challenge to the mayor’s breakfast attendees, (mostly business owners and public sector officials as reported by Collin Gallant previously). The question was whether any of them would have taken the bus to the event if it had been free of charge or if they’d been offered $5 to do so. The fact that anyone there, although apparently very few, responded positively is indeed not surprising but also that there was any positive response at all, demonstrate that there may be at least some hope that bus rider incentives may work and are worthy of consideration.

Slade’s related excellent analogy, for those that may have missed it, was: “That question put to that audience would be a little like going to the Champion Centre on North Railway Street, where many homeless gather each morning, and asking them if they felt there was any point in having an annual mayor’s breakfast and whether it was worth paying to attend.”

It’s too bad that the transit issue is considered to be “put to rest.” It is costly, but necessary, and hopefully other means of reducing costs, rather than by cutting service, as has already been attempted and failed, will continue to be considered by public services. The financial woes of public transit are not unique to Medicine Hat as can be seen from even a quick online search. Rider incentives, in my view, should definitely be considered. Such incentives need not imply added costs. A program that offers free, three-days-or-more bus passes to non-riders would cost taxpayers virtually nothing. If the concern is potential free loaders or unnecessary gifts to existing or transit dependent users, (although, this should definitely not be an issue or concern); then showing a valid operator’s licence and vehicle registration could be made a requirement, in exchange for a free bus pass with an obligatory comment card attached! Comments from new as well as existing users, may help to improve any existing transit issues associated with the old system, about to replace the newly introduced system, on Nov. 27. Such bus passes should not have to be necessarily used consecutively and have at least a one-month expiry date.

What possible harm is there in trying a bus rider incentive program. The old saying “nothing ventured, nothing gained” applies here, in my view. I can even envision something like a bus TRIP theme (Transit Ridership Incentive Pass) as being a catchy program acronym! I can’t imagine any real financial risks involved in attempting to lure us non-riders into exploring our bus system which ultimately may convert at least some of us into becoming riders, even if occasionally, which would help reduce the financial tax payer burden of this absolutely necessary public service.

Gordon Briosi

Medicine Hat

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