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When Calgary Transit customers began purchasing their April low-income bus passes last week, some citizens shelled out just five dollars and five cents for a monthly pass — $38.95 less than what they previously paid and $95.95 off the price of a regular adult pass.

The City of Calgary’s one-of-a-kind sliding scale for low-income transit passes, approved by council in July, launches Saturday, with sales for the April passes already underway.

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“The word is out there and it’s running very smoothly. People are very excited about access to this,” said Katie Black, director of Calgary neighbourhoods.

“Customers who are eligible for the deepest discount will have just under $40 more in their pocket every month.”

Currently, it costs $101 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, believed to be the first of its kind in Canada, offers much steeper discounts, depending on income.