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Calgarians living in extreme poverty will soon pay just $5.15 for a monthly Calgary Transit pass — a 95 per cent discount off the regular price.

City council unanimously voted in favour Monday of introducing a new sliding scale for low-income transit pass holders that will come into effect beginning in 2017.

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Depending on a user’s income, monthly adult bus passes will cost between $5.15 and $51.50 monthly, a discount of between 50 and 95 per cent off the 2017 regular monthly adult bus pass fare.

Currently, it costs $99 for an adult monthly transit pass and no matter how much a low-income Calgarian earns, they pay $44 to ride the bus or train every month.

The new sliding scale means a single Calgarian, who makes half of the poverty line (about $12,000 a year), will pay $5.15 for a monthly pass, while someone who makes 85 to 100 per cent of the Low Income Cut-Off will get a 50 per cent discount.

“This is a big deal,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.