TTC trips could soon be refunded when delayed 15 minutes or more

Toronto transit riders could soon be compensated for long delays.

On Dec. 17, members of Toronto City Council voted to explore the possibility of offering TTC riders a refund if they experience delays of 15 minutes or longer.

The motion was initially introduced by Councillor Brad Bradford as a proposal to implement a full money-back guarantee, but the council voted to amend it so that the TTC Board will instead "evaluate and consider" how such a program could work.

Other cities, including London, Singapore, and Washington D.C., already offer refunds to commuters experiencing significant delays. The regional GO Transit system also implemented a similar policy, a model Toronto is now looking to emulate. 

"Implementing a refund system would demonstrate that both the Toronto Transit Commission and City Council respect customers' time and money," says Councillor Brad Bradford in a notice of motion presented to council. 

Bradford argues that this approach would push the TTC to improve performance and make transit a faster, more reliable choice for more Toronto residents. The vote at council comes amid rider complaints about slow and delayed service on the new Finch West LRT. A Toronto engineer even recently turned commuter frustration into a website exposing TTC delay data.

"Many customers budget an extra 20 or 30 minutes on their trip to allow
for these regular disruptions. This kind of service performance is unacceptable," says Bradford.