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WMWOMmls.mls-3 J [I D M l N G S 0 U N u l ' 1 ‘3‘ ll ’ ' ‘ ‘1? 0 ' Y 71.282. E . l l I h . l '. . . . l . 1 i.‘ L l l . l 1 l l l l e waiting game. Transit for Reduced Income Program 1 l A three rtseries looki at wain' lists WaterlmRegion ’ -pa ”8' ng “(.7088 l l BYMEUSSA Mutiny ation who simply don‘t take transit now . i the (fhmrfliv fl because they can't afford to.” W W 7 On paper. he said. it seems like the region tiring the year Martin Suter hasspent on is losing money from farm. but he feels the Da waiting list for a reduced transit pass. program should be expanded because some - he's spent an additional $444 â€" money buses are not even half full. hewould have spenion food ‘lt's not really a cost. On paper it's this suit-r is diabetic and often frequents St. much revenue. but they actually won't Hose . John‘s kitchen for meals. receivtng foods moneyl." he said. high in starch that he shouldn't be eating. Instead of having people pay a reduced l, . But there's no money in his current budget rate. Suter believes the program should be for the food he needs to have a healthier tied to income. especially for seniors. k . ._ ' . lifestyle “Even the reduced passes are too much "Ill had any extra money. I‘d be spending money for people.” he said. 1 ’ that on the food that I should be eating â€" TRIP was initiated back in 200] and is , \ i- like vegetables and protein. but right now administered through Lutherwood in (Zam- that's not in my budget ' bridge and Kitchener's Working Centre. l~or almost a year. Sitter has been waiting Currently there are about LN!) passes in . - for a phone call saying he's at the top of the the system. which costs the Region ofWater- _ _ ‘ i region’s 'lransit for Reduc ed Income Pro- loo about 5407.000 per year. Eligibility is .- "fi: ' l“ ‘ gram r l'llll’) waiting list. based on an income cutoff. :2: He also calls about twrce a month to Although the passes are subsidized. check his status. smte he doesn‘t have an there's stillacost. M015“ MUMMWMWMOMUOMMWK'UNWM answering machine the pass wtll save him As of luly I. of this year. a regular adult imome transit 93“: The 9'“ W5" 5"! him ”7 0" month, 0' $4“ 99' Y." â€" money he “id 337 a month on transit and Suit-r doesn‘t transit pass costs $79, A reduced pass. which he ”Old spend 0" food. an“... my "my want to be left waiting any longer than not was not increased this year, costs $42. essary According to (Iurt Shoemaker. manager those without. No set number of passes is Region ofWaterloa' hesaid. i Suit-r m ewes Ontario Disability support of quality assurance for the region, there has reserved for either category, 'Wc have to start thinking in different ' I Program payments and after paying rent he always been a waiting list for the program The number of people waiting is down ways about all of these programs and how ‘ has about soon a rnooih left He lives near and the wait averages about a year from just under a year ago when there were do you do it in sustainable and meaningful i wi-sinrount Road and t,l.isgow Sin-vi In And sometimes, even when people finally more than 1.000 on the list ways so that we are all part ofthe picture,“ i ‘ Kilt better. for enough outside of the down get to the top of the list. the rost Is still too "We still have 5l8 people on the list who Shoemaker said the “inking an"? and i town tort- that he has to take transit to murh are working porn. low income and. for one lutherwood work with the peoplew‘ho haw l i .rui-ss ll‘it't m k. \l'n'lt es " they genuinely want a bus pass. but it's reason or another, are unable to get their the reduced passes. so when they feel l ”e tist‘s thi- food bank sol times .i year. too mm b money, so they find ll very difficult bus pass} he said. secure. they will step aside for others to get goes to tllllft hes offering full meals dull to even .it a reduced rate it‘s too much to l'he region will receive a report on the them i the soup luti hon three to tour times a Wt't'lt toggle." Slitx-itiaker said program at a meeting this fall, and Shoe; 'We all wait for those calls" ' [be $70 I spend on a bus pass wouldn‘t "People are making really hard ( horn-s maker is hoping regional council will conr “- i buy that mm It grot eries over .1 month. so here ‘ sider an expansion to reduce wait times. transit is oral." \uii-r said currently there are about Gm people on "When we look at our numbers and Part (limo/this series will [not at 1 “ Hit-y definitely need to expand the pro the waiting list and it's broken into two dif out stats. we understand that poverty the region's mental health and l gram llll'ft' Isa" kinds of people in my sitii lt-rt-nt lists. those With ettiploy'rtti-nt and is at tually not going down within the addictions umringlurj l _ .7 7‘ a (unto. .1" Jane ‘.¢.n.u . Aiming “in T.» awr- t .n '1' you ~nâ€"n - 'r luau Sootn'enlr 24 70‘. 0 "M I'M v Ago". cg“... “a..."y I.” l . -â€"â€" - - _-~.:. .,- . ? 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