TTC Token Hoarding Prompts Strict Anti-Hoarding Measures
TTC token hoarding is already becoming a problem and the transit commission has sprung into action with a serious effort to thwart it.
Effective immediately, TTC staffers have been instructed to sell no more than 5 tokens at fare collection booths. Automatic token dispensers in unattended subway entrances will be programmed to deliver just one token. And the worst part of this all? If a fare collector booth run out of tokens, staff have been instructed to charge riders the full fare of $2.75. Is this fare fair?
The stricter limits on token sales come just a few days after the TTC began limiting token purchases to 10 tokens per person.
With approval of significant fare hikes likely coming on November 17th, and effective January 3rd, 2010, TTC riders are scrambling to do what they can to save a few bucks during hard times.
In addition to a proposed hike in token prices (from $2,25 to $2.50), talk of raising the regular adult Metropass to $126 (from $109, which would result in the pass making even less fiscal sense than it already does to weekday commuters), are the culprits here.
Comments (85)
I feel as if the TTC is raising so much unnecessary anger in me, but I can't help to feel absolutely pissed off about the situation.
How can this be happening? Shitty service, shittier prices, shitty vehicles. I know it's easy to complain, but this is getting out of hand.
Perhaps the TTC is a victim of its own plan? I know three people already who are planning to stop buying metropasses and change to tokens because of the proposed fare increase. More people who are hoarding who otherwise wouldn't? Just a thought.
Look, this seems like an 'f-you' from the TTC, but the fact is that it is an 'f-you' from the province and Ottawa. As bad as the TTC is, it is a miracle that it runs, with one of the lowest transit subsidies in N. America.
The feds and Queen's Park rob Toronto, and some other cities too, and the fact is that it will continue so long as we bend that way.
James is absolutely right - TTC is the only public transit system in the world that doesn't get funding from senior levels of gov't for its operating budget. Also, fares makes up about 75% of the operating budget, which is the highest in Canada. Moreover, residents of Toronto's core 'subsidize' (through property taxes) those from the 'burbs that use the TTC.
"Automatic token dispensers in unattended subway entrances will be programmed to deliver just one token". At the price of a token ($2.25), or at the full cash fare price ($2.75) buying a single token from a machine currently costs?
These machines don't take $5 bills, so we'll have to put in a $10 or $20 bill and get back $7.50 or $17.50 in coins? These machines are going to be blinking their red "out of service" lights all the time because they'll run out of change to give back. We're going to have to put up with 2 month of this craziness!
I think the TTC is genius - an ever depreciating service for an ever appreciating price. Massive wages for completely unskilled jobs, surly micro and macro dispositions, and if anyone opposes... how's about the sweet taste of a city-immobilizing strike?
For me, this fare hike = car time. I've been screwed enough, time for me to screw something... in this case, the ozone.
Ya think it's bad now, wait till the Pan Am games come it will be impossible to get around and by that time TTC fares could be $5!
HA!
if the ttc is worried about losing money, they need to install more turnstyles in stations and card readers so entering the buses and streetcars, is only possible by actually swiping the metropass. in busy areas its way too easy to "share" them.
This sounds absolutely asinine, 5 tokens won't even last the week. Now people will have to go fare booths all the time or risk not having tokens for the bus.
Costs are high, so rather than seek to increase revenues why not start cutting expenses?
The TTC right now does a hell of a lot, and it doesn't get the money it needs from the provincial and federal governments. That's a reality it has to face. As nice as it is to have quality service, Toronto can't afford it. If people don't want to pay higher fares then respond by cutting services so the current fare levels can be maintained. Clearly that's what people want - they can't honestly be demanding lower fares and better service, can they?
I second that Picard102. I'm originally from Halifax, where the adult fare is currently $2.25, and you do not get NEARLY the service we are getting here in Toronto (fewer buses, less often, on fewer routes). Considering jamesmallon's and mark's points, I do not understand why the TTC gets so little love.
Picard102
You've obviously have never travel other countries, and going to the 905 does not count!
'Picard102', justify that comment, please. It doesn't match about a dozen cities I've been to. It beats Manilla, Xiamen and Bangkok (in the 90s, but I have not been back), but given our GDP that is an unfair comparison.
This might have been avoided had the TTC entered the 21st century and migrated to a fully electronic fare card system like most other "world class" cities by now.
Here's a specific thing the TTC can do to save money:
The Dufferin bus route is a make-work project for bus drivers. Every day I see 3 busses traveling in a row, one with a few people on board, then 2 absolutely empty. And then long stretches of nothing. Every day. All day.
There - fix that. Manage the routes better - It'll probably save the city 100,000 in wages and fuel per year.
If the city actually had a forum for citizens to point out obvious bullshit and mismanagement like this, things would change, and money would be saved. But no, the TTC doesn't want anyone telling them how to do their job, so we get the same old bullshit.
I hope Smitherman has a set of balls, because for all the good Millar did, he was a wimp. Someone has to effect serious change at the TTC.
PS. The TTC reaping 75% of its operating budget from charging exorbitant prices for crap service in a protected market with a monopoly is nothing to be proud of.
^^
same with spadina
4 streetcar pileup.. service stall at the station,where 'conductors' are busy chatting it up exhanging non essential information.. causing huge line ups and risk for potential disaster and rider safety.
"Effective immediately, TTC staffers have been instructed to sell no more than 5 tokens at fare collection booths."
10? ;)
Halifax has a population of less than 400 thousand, Toronto has a population of over 5 million. Toronto should be able to benefit from its higher urban density, but instead we operate with the efficiency of a city 10 times smaller.
Economies of scale, its a basic economic principle. Its why wallmart is taking over the world.
So what you pointed out is Toronto's gross mismanagement.
How do dowtown torontonian riders subside the suburbs? not everyone goes downtown, I live in Scarborough and tend to do most of my business in Scarborough.
@Bubba
I've been through Europe, and the States. The TTC is far from the worst.
@jamesmallon
It may not be the best in the world, but it's far better then people in this city make it out to be. On our own doorsteps for example, London Ontario's LTC is a disaster. LA's Metro was a disaster when I took it in 2002. Winnipeg's system doesn't come close to the level I've come to expect from the TTC either.
Dufferin has had that horrendous service for years now. Add to that list the Ossingto bus (famous for having one packed bus followed by two empty ones) and the poorly spaced-out Parliament and Jones bus routes.
Add to that the fact that this 501 split has added twenty minutes to my commute (each way) and that the cars are packed to the doors and it makes for really shitty service.
Just moved to Danforth from Oakville and I am delighted to pay $3.00 for TTC. I believe 24 hour service on major routes and access to the entire city via subway is a huge benefit that many take for granted - not to mention the frequency of pick-ups. In Oakville I would wait up to an hour for a bus and generally have to backtrack far out of my way to get where I needed to go. Now any one of the three busses I can take to Broadview station is a 20 second walk out my front door and matter of minutes for the next bus. Maybe I haven't lived here long enough to experience the dark side of TTC - but believe me there are far worse.
I just don't understand how people can compare smaller cities and suburbs to Toronto in terms of service. Of course buses are less frequent in Oakville, their ridership is way way lower. They are not a metropolitan city. As far as comparison goes, Mississauga may not be fantastic but at least for many many years they have had a telephone number on every stop to tell you when the next bus is coming, and I used to take it for many years, and hardly ever was a bus out of sync. And trust me, I am not one to talk pleasantries about Mississauga.
I just think it's really reductionist to compare a large city's transit with a smaller place and say "we have it good" We have it AWFUL. FUCKING AWFUL.
Oakville? Who cares about Oakville. I'm sure Toronto's transit system is better then all the small little towns that have no money. Why people keep pointing out that the TTC is better than crippled, hobbled transit systems from tiny cash-poor cities with absolutely no buying power, is beyond me. That doesn't make the TTC great, that just means you came from a tiny city with no money and not enough ridership to support a transit system.
A transit system that was likely highly subsidized by Toronto taxpayers too. You're welcome.
One thing Smitherman's definitely got is a set of balls. Hopefully he doesn't try to soften his image in a mayoral bid.
Go to a shoppers drug mart or a convenience store to buy tokens, they have told me they are not limiting how many tokens they are selling. Downside of this is, they will run out fast.
Hmmmm...but how much did you pay in property taxes in Halifax? A tad less than those living in Toronto is my guess. But I suppose our $$ are going to pay for TTC salaries, bonuses and benefits instead of the actual services. And you can point the finger at the province or the feds, but it is the job of our local politicans to FIND A WAY to make the city work for their citizens, and if that means negotiation or playing nice in the sandbox with those at the prov/fed level for once, then so be it.
Here's a topical article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/toronto-congestion-costs-canada-33-billion-oecd/article1357220/
"Traffic congestion in the Toronto region costs Canada $3.3-billion in lost productivity a year, the result of urban sprawl, decades of underinvestment in public transit by Ottawa and a disjointed system, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development says.
In a first-of-its-kind review of the region's economy, the OECD said transit service in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area has not kept pace with population growth, with 71 per cent of commuters still dependent on the automobile – one of the highest rates of car use among cities in the organization's 30 member countries."
So, if you usually only use the TTC's bus and/or streetcar routes, you now need to (a) reroute yourself out of the way via a subway station every few rides; make an additional trip (at an additional fare) to a station every few rides; or take the TTC (for an additional fare) to a convenience store to buy more tokens, at least once every two days. Swell.
You TTC haters are ignorant. I hate the TTC experience, but at least I am smart enough to separate symptom and cause.
Symptom: TTC staff and service is unacceptable.
Cause: our political class pandering to the lowest class consciousness of its electorate: have the wealthy resent their taxes being 'wasted', or have the working poor resent TTC staff being 'overpaid'.
Reality is complex and nuanced, and includes all of the above, and a great deal more. Yes, you fell for a wedge issue, and cheapened our 'democracy' in so doing. Thanks boneheads.
I think the TTC is pretty good if you consider what they have to work with.
So the TTC needs money right? They have to get it from somewhere, and it isn't coming from any level of government (not significant amounts anyways). So guess what? That means they either need to make themselves more efficient, or charge more coin to us, all while expanding their service. And yes, they ARE expanding service and WILL be expanding even more in preparation for the Pan Am games.
To increase efficiency in such a large organization can be extremely difficult... not to mention it's usually a slow process. So imagine that difficulty level... now triple it because their employees are unionized.
There are so many other factors too... fuel prices, money they used for driver enclosures so that we, the rider, can't spit or throw bricks at their faces. You get the idea.
Yep, the money is going to come from us. Hey, I for one will pay. You don't want to? Take your car to work then... oh, is that too expensive? Hmmm... you could ride your bike! Oh wait, you don't want to do that, besides winter is alomst here. Well you better sit at home on the internet and complain then! If it really bothers you, DO something about it! Start a petition or something. Or fucking car-pool. Just don't complain unless you know what you're talking about. Take it and go. By the way, I'm no TTC apologist or employee... just calling it like I see it.
we can all just buy the fake tokens floating around for less then the price of student fare (not saying i have any)
This is unbelievable. Well now I know why the line ups at the collector booths were so long! Not to mention, the sight of a streetcar STUCK smack dab in the middle of a fairly busy intersection for more than FOUR hours today, blocking traffic. Looks like us suckers are going to be paying more for continually shoddy service. I wish I could strike the ttc....
Hmm, not so sure about the property tax subsidy comment there.... If by suburbs you mean Etobicoke, Scarborough or North York, last time I checked, they were part of Toronto proper, and not suburbs. I also don't think anyone would appreciate paying an extra fare going from Toronto proper into Etobicoke or Scarborough, but then again, maybe this would result in a more efficient system. And if you meant in terms of the transit systems of outlying areas...wrong again. Ever been on a bus that leaves the city of Toronto? You pay an extra fare to get off the bus outside of Toronto- the fare of whichever transit system you're getting off in the territory of. This is a quite petty point to raise really, but I'd take apples of clarity over oranges of incoherence any day.
""I think the TTC is pretty good if you consider what they have to work with." That's exactly it, sacha!
Ultimately, there are 2 questions TTC detractors need to answer. First, what exactly do you consider a working transit system? What does it look like? How does it operate? This is easy for anyone to answer, since we all have our ideas. For me, personally, I don't mind seeing 2 empty buses following a full one -- I know which one I'm getting on, for a much more pleasant ride at that!
No matter how you answer the first question, you also have to answer the second question honestly: how much are you willing to pay for it? If the TTC is as bad as you think it is now, and it costs this much, and the government is never going to pitch in... Well, how much would your ideal system cost, hmm? And would you pay it?
Would it still cost less than the daily use of an automobile? Without a doubt.
I should also add that a suggestion like schwang's, namely the tacit approval of FRAUD and COUNTERFEITING, may help you in the short term, but hurts the entire city in the long run, as it's probably not helping the TTC with its costs.
TTC is the only reason I decided to move.
I MOVED AROUND THE CORNER FROM WORK.
I WALK TO WORK.
At this point, I would rather pay for the extra expenses of a car than taking the TTC that is just not worth it or even time effiecient for me anymore. Really, rising prices, I'd rather be paying rising prices in gas.
How does this even hurt TTC? Aren't they getting a lot of money up front for service they've yet to provide? Who cares if it's not for the amount they would get for those token a couple months from now? Would this not be the same as a store complaining about too many customers buying gift cards from them?
Also, implement a pre-paid card system. It'll cost more now, but it'll prevent counterfeiting and improve riders' experience (no fumbling for tokens).
Didn't mean to break any hearts comparing Toronto's TTC to Oakvilles "poor" transit solution. Apparently it is apples and oranges irc: /me my bad.
I just do not have any reason to complain at this point for the hike and don't see what all the fuss is about... If you hate it so bad, don't use it - there are many alternative solutions.
Dear TTC,
How about you start doing your job properly. Why aren't people that smoke on TTC property ever fined. I've seen plenty of people break the law with TTC employees present, ignoring them. That would turn a nice profit for ya. And how about you start running your business like a business: sack the people that don't do their job, modernize the system, longer hours for the subway. I fail to see why I should pay a premium price for a shitty service. If the TTC was a corporation it would have run bankrupt by now.
Stop ripping people that rely on your service off and start doing your jobs properly. For shame.
There is a "shortage" of tokens because the TTC staff buy them all now and put them back into circulation after the increase. It is not unheard of for people to buy $5000 to $10000 worth in times like this; you make a quick CASH profit. I heard one guy once bought $50,000 worth about 10 years back.
I used to work as a station collector as a summer job while in university...so i know what goes on.
"TTC ticket collector rakes in $100Gs last year "
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/04/02/5174216-sun.html
Ok, so he worked a lot of overtime, but COME ON! ridiculous. ttc salaries are too high...don't pass that mess onto the customers.
So they've basically imposed a fare hike at unattended stations before its been approved.
Now, we've got to wait for the hike to be approved for the price to go back down.
F'n TTC
I know a guy who works at the TTC as a driver who just "used" some sick days to go on a mini holiday. Got paid by our tax dollars to drink in Vegas for a weekend. Thanks TTC. Thanks Giambrone.
I've been trying to be healthier by walking and biking when I can. Through no fault of their own, the TTC is making less money off of me. I walk, bike and Autoshare to get me where I need to go most of the time. Since the fare hike was announced, I've cut my token consumption from 6 tokens per week to 3.
Five years ago, I bought tokens or a metropass and used the TTC to go everywhere. I understand that the TTC needs money, even just to maintain the 'only okay' service we have now. But it's downright insulting that I can only by 5 tokens at a time. Sorry TTC, but until you learn to respect your customers I'll be taking my personal 'transit system.'
Underfunding of the TTC by all levels of government is a huge problem, but politics as usual. How else would the Province and Ottawa earn political points by announcing funding issues and handing out oversize novelty checks at the photo ops?
That said, the city, and the TTC haven't exactly kept a lid on spending as is, and more money handed over to the system would only disappear down the hole. If there were conditions placed on funding, say to initiate a swipe-card system like New York's that would lower operating costs over time, maybe we'd see actual results. Maybe.
We should march at Queens Park and stop being complacent! Actually stand up and say enough is enough!
Amen to that. Its a simple fix that will bring long term cost savings, which sadly is why we probably shouldn't hold our breath waiting for it.
Aren't tickets still an option? The only reason the TTC restricts token sales is because they're minted in perpetuity. Paper tickets get expired, and are much more widely available. (When I was living in Scarborough and working out there, I preferred tokens. It wasn't until I was working downtown that I even cared about tokens.)
This happens every year with tokens. Or at least every year there's a fare increase since I've been riding the TTC which started in about...1986.
Do the math of the fare increase. Investing your money in tokens is a lower return than just about any other form of investment you can make, except in the very short term.
It doesn't make it less stupid that the TTC does this.
"...a swipe-card system like New York's that would lower operating costs over time, maybe we'd see actual results. Maybe."
That would cost $300-400 million and would be obsolete long before the costs were recouped. An electronic payment system is coming, eventually. People who are in such a hurry to incur such expenses should let everyone else know what service improvements or other big upgrades they'd rather put off... and share with the rest of us which magical pot of money they'll use to pay for it.
Ah yes, an electronic payment system, whereby Toronto's transit will finally join the late 20th century.
Why do folks only mention the costs? Look at how Hong Kong's MTR's Octopus card took off, growing from a transit card to a nearly universal method of payment for goods in shops, vending machines, etc.
You're right, G Smith -- better to just keep pitching money down the sucking vortex of overpaid ineffective staffers. The money can come from the same magical pot of money that we currently use to little or no effect whatsoever. When the single fare reaches $5 bucks a pop maybe we'll smarten up, but I'm guessing not.
My point was with respect to bad value-for-money of buying the swipe cards everyone is in love with. "Overpaid staffers" is a magical pot, or at least one you can't raid. If you think the system would work fine if only hundreds or thousands of TTC employees were fired or paid half as much, I'd love to see your master plan.
Electronic payment, automated trains. These are not items from a magical story book. They're all over the world in major metropolises.
The TTC has thought about it, but I guess they believe new streetcars, and a hand full of expensive expansions (that they can't afford), is the way to go.
http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/data/200611171159.shtml
The Presto card being implemented across the GTA (with the notable exception of the TTC itself) sounds almost exactly like the “Oyster card” that’s been in use in London for almost 4 years.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/oysteronline/2732.aspx
Wikipedia also has a very long list of municipalities that use smart cards for their fare systems. This isn’t particularly new technology for transit agencies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contactless_smartcard#Contactless_Smart_Card
And as the TTC never seems to hesitate in throwing hundreds of millions into salaries and pensions, why not invest in something that's going to benefit the people who actually use the system? Not only that, but it'll make raising the fares easier for them (and could also be used to initiate a zoned fare system to offset those fare hikes).
Toronto isn’t in favor of this because of the claimed $300 million price tag, plus the $25 million maintenance cost, but the reality is, this is a long term investment. The TTC loses millions due to ticket fraud. I`m not saying the Presto Card will fix this, but it would certainly improve fare security issues a bit.
Having traveled across Europe and East Asia, I have to admit, Toronto as well as the GTA has a pretty embarrassing system. I hear International Students at the local universities giggling over it all the time. We aren’t Communist North Korea, its time for an updated fare system. This is a perfect opportunity for TTC to attract new 905ers out of their cars.
The fare system may still be out of date, but at least with Presto, it provides Metrolink with the instrument needed for a fair but complex fare structure.
How bout leasing more space in the stations for more businesses?
Finch station has two tim hortons as well as a few other small shops.
Why not sell pizza slices on fridays to make some extra operating cash?
Maybe the ttc can also look at their advertising space in a new light
not all the value of the ttc lies in their service. The ttc has a lot of physical
space and assets that are underused. I often wonder about the baren corners
of stations and how often riders actually explore all the area a station takes up
Now, I love the TTC. It's a pretty good transit system for how little that goes into it. But this is purely a matter of dollar and cents.
With the bump up in Metro passes, hoarding tokens saves me at least $100 over a 4 month period. And I save an extra $50 when they do actually hike up the token prices.
Quite frankly, I am going to ride the TTC and save my $600 per year, thank you very much.
Adam Giambrone is WAAAAAY over his head as TTC chair. This is just more proof that he's not up to this task, let alone being Mayor.
Shame on you TTC. Christmas shoppers will have a tougher time getting around. Hey Giambrone, why don't you retire along with miller? Both of you have done your best to CRIPPLE THIS CITY! We don't want you around. Get lost. Scram.
Meanwhile, take the time to unload your pennies at the ticket counters, bus and streetcars. Let them know you won't be sheep to these idiot bureaucraps.
Anyone want a roll of old tokens for free? I bought them for $100 before they changed over and they refused to take them back months later.
Hey, I understand that the TTC is underfunded, but maybe start looking at a few ways to save money... like, oh I don't know, let's look at the over 300 TTC employees who made OVER $100,000 last year. Are they all worth it? Do their jobs justify their salaries. Could we get people to do their jobs for significantly less? Could we get a turnstile to do their jobs?
And regardless, if it's a service that is paid for by commuters, why is there a common continuous complaint about the treatment of operators/drivers towards commuters. Or, put another way, a complaint against the people who provide the service towards the people who pay for the service.
I HATE the TTC limiting purchase of tokens, but seriously?
WALK.
Walk 10 minutes to the nearest subway stop or convenience store, buy your tokens, and then hop back on your usual route. Does everyone really work/live in the middle of absolutely nowhere? I doubt it.
You work downtown? There are probably a dozen places within 10 minutes that will sell you tokens, some of which are definitely along your way home. That's what I do.
As someone who commutes from Oakville, I care about Oakville.
Thank you, Mike, for perpetuating the "centre of the universe" stereotype that all of us in the GTA have to deal with on a national level.
Can we keep our eye on the ball here?
The TTC is limiting the number of tokens you can buy at once because whenever there is an announcement of a fare hike, demand spikes, while the supply stays the same. In other words, if they didn't set a limit then they'd be out of them by now. And then everyone would be complaining about THAT instead.
The problem here isn't even service. I think we've all encountered bad TTC employees. I don't think anyone is debating that. I'm sick to death of the drivers of the 30 bus that I have to deal with (opening the doors before they've stopped, expecting me to leap on with my cane, I suspect; pedal to the metal as soon as they've seen my pass so that I'm flung down the aisle without even a second of a chance to find a seat; leaving Kipling station early, for which there is no excuse; or never following the posted schedule, for that matter, even at times when there is almost no traffic...) but I don't believe this should be our rallying point.
Saying, "how dare you rase our fares when the drivers are all dicks?!" doesn't help us.
The problem here, as I see it, are two-fold: The various levels of goverment are not funding the TTC properly, and the TTC is mismanaging the funds they do have. (A third problem would be fare evasion... I don't know how big of a dent that makes in the grand scheme of things, but it drives me crazy when I see it... especially when a TTC employee sees it too and does nothing.)
I don't think we should take any politician seriously when they say they support green initiatives, but mention nothing about boosting funding to public transit. I firmly believe that the reason the government only ever seems interested in funding things like extending the subway, but not overall operating expenses is because you can't get your picture taken infront of "improved service".
As for the TTC's mismanagement of funds. Oy. I'm not an expert in these issues, but experts do exist and we should be asking them what should be done. And we should insist that the TTC listen to them.
I don't think there's much we can do to avoid this fare hike, but we all should be writing to our government representatives and demanding that they do something to avoid future hikes. I'm not sure that boycotting the TTC for one day is going to do a whole lot, but an organized protest where the people with the power to do something are could do wonders.
They're not going to listen to us if we just keep complaining to one another about things that have very little to do with the actual problem.
As for the fake tokens: seriously? Do you even realize just who you're stealing from when you use fake tokens, fake passes, or just waltz into a bus bay without paying? How on earth can a thinking person believe that riding public transit illegally for free can possibly help lower fares? Or improve service? Or stop you from being mobbed by angry paying customers who are paying through the nose for your free ride?
I had a broken arm the last time the TTC increased fares. I had to stand outside of a Sheppard-line station outside north york general hospital begging people to swipe me in because I was only able to purchase paper tickets at the time. There were no station attendants on the sheppard line- only automatic entrances. I had to go to the hospital several times/ week to get treatment and I had no way of paying the fare.
I'm glad they have the limit now.
such a retarded system.. if they were using ocutupus card like hk, then there would be no such thing as Token Hoarding
What I don't understand is TTC collector booths limiting tokens! I mean, if a collector is going to "run out" of tokens all the time to avoid hoarding, why not start selling them at the new price point of $2.50 now? Forcing me to pay $2.75 because of their lack of supply still robs me of $0.25 a trip over the new price. GAH this system is total garbage.
Someone mentioned paying with pennies to polietly flip off fare collectors... this won't work.
Details in the currency act (I'm sure this has been quoted previously):
(2) A payment in coins referred to in subsection (1) is a legal tender for no more than the following amounts for the following denominations of coins:
(a) forty dollars if the denomination is two dollars or greater but does not exceed ten dollars;
(b) twenty-five dollars if the denomination is one dollar;
(c) ten dollars if the denomination is ten cents or greater but less than one dollar;
(d) five dollars if the denomination is five cents; and
(e) twenty-five cents if the denomination is one cent.
So, pennies are a no-go, but you can be a douche/crusader (I'm on the fence about defining this act) with a pocket full of beavers when purchasing a single fare.
Referenced URL:
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/C-52/20091112/page-1.html?rp2=HOME&rp3=SI&rp1=currency%20act&rp4=all&rp9=cs&rp10=L&rp13=50
Regardless of how much funding they get, or how the system is failing, it just defies common sense for three streetcars or buses to follow one another, rather than space themselves out.
I've been told by TTC staff it's 'cause they have to keep to a schedule, but what good is a schedule that no one witnesses? A friend who works for the city explained that they need to keep to a schedule for staff breaks, not for the benefit of the public or service.
It's stupid to blame Miller or blame Giambrone or say Smitherman (and his balls) will change anything. Each are a person working in a huge, convoluted, bureaucratic system. One person can't change all of this, regardless of their intentions or title. A change has to be initiated at the top and we have a Prime Minister who doesn't value or understand our city.
The point behind limiting them is so that you buy a few, then use them, putting those used ones back in the system so that you can buy them again.
If they didn't limit how many you could buy at once then they would definitely run out and you would definitely be paying the cash fare. At least this way you stand a fighting chance of getting tokens.
I mostly take cabs now because with the fare increases, the difference in cost when you factor in time and convenience is not that great.
Hell, I'd rather walk or bike.
It might just be cheaper to buy a car if you're travelling short distances. Isn't that terrible?
Limit of 5 tokens per person? I feel like i am living in a communist regime...the TTC has been constantly increasing fares while constantly decreasing the quality of the service. Can't wait to finish school and stop paying these outrageous fees!
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