A Victoria city councillor is putting his elected colleagues to the test by challenging them to make public transit their only mode of transportation for a week.

Sharmarke Dubow believes that since city councillors, transit officials and Victoria Regional Transit Commission members are responsible for providing transit services to Victoria residents, they should experience it firsthand.

"If you are a great chef, you have to test your own food," he told Gregor Craigie, host of CBC's On The Island.

Thursday, he's presenting a motion before Victoria city council calling on members of the Victoria Regional Transit Commission and local government and elected officials to take part in a transit challenge for a week.

As an everyday transit user himself, Dubow says the challenge is also an opportunity for them to hear directly from their constituents and from front-line service providers, like bus drivers, about the challenges they face.

"Direct transit experience will give you intimate insight on why we should really put more and more funding [into transit]," he said.

Victoria city councillor Sharmarke Dubow says public transit contributes to improving public safety, and reducing vehicular and pedestrian accidents. (Chad Hipolito/Canadian Press)

Earlier this year, the Capital Region District approved a motion to declare a climate emergency and to make climate action a priority for the region.

Dubow's motion says that expanding and improving transit service reduces congestion and greenhouse gas emissions across the city. "It also stimulates economic growth and productivity by enabling people to move," he told Craigie.

The councillor acknowledges that using transit as your only mode of transportation is not always easy.

"Some areas might be more challenging than other areas [within] the Capital Region," he said. "At the same time, regular folks also take transit, regular folks also have children, regular folks also go to work."

I’m in! <a href="https://twitter.com/BCTransit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCTransit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MurdochOakBay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MurdochOakBay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/geoff4council?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@geoff4council</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/lisahelps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lisahelps</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HaynesSaanich?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HaynesSaanich</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MajaTait?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MajaTait</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Susan_Brice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Susan_Brice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/deardubow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@deardubow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GoldstreamNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoldstreamNews</a> <br><br>Victoria councillor challenges elected officials to use public transit for a week <a href="https://t.co/FuwZDSdAuY">https://t.co/FuwZDSdAuY</a> —@MayorRobMartin

Dubow says he's already received positive feedback from elected officials pledging to take part in the challenge on Twitter including the mayor of Oak Bay, the mayor of Colwood, and several councillors from Saanich.

The second part of his motion asks that those who participate then share their experience with their council, communities and Victoria Regional Transit Commission representative.

Listen to Victoria City Councillor Sharmarke Dubow explain his transit challenge on On The Island: