Turner Calls For A Fair Transit Deal
Instead of Higher Fares

For Immediate Release: April 1, 2004

Victoria Federal NDP candidate David Turner called today on the federal and provincial governments to provide more assistance for local transit systems, rather than standing by while fares rise, ridership falls, and traffic congestion and air pollution grow. He will be campaigning among bus users this morning at 11 am in front of the Bay Centre.

"Greater Victoria drivers pay $30 million a year in federal gasoline taxes. It's time the federal government returns some of this money to local governments, so they can put it into transit," Turner said today at a downtown Victoria bus stop.

"We need both federal and provincial governments to support local transit systems to reduce the strain on our roads, and help meet our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gases," Turner said.

"Instead we get empty words from Ottawa and silence from the provincial capital, and that means Victoria transit users are forced to pay more to take a bus. Some people can't afford higher fares and others will choose to take their cars. This neglect must end now."

Today is the day that transit fares rise in Victoria, on top of recent service cuts. This is the direct result of the BC Liberal government's cuts to transit funding, and no federal Liberal support for transit in Victoria, unlike this week's federal grant for transit in Toronto only.

Jack Layton and Canada's NDP are calling for Paul Martin to share half the gas tax with municipalities to fund transit, road and infrastructure improvements. While Martin has talked about sharing gas tax proceeds with municipalities, his Liberal government has failed to do so.

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Information:     www.DavidTurner.ca

David Turner, 388-0311
Alan Rycroft, 592-8307

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