

Web Staff, cp24.com





TTC riders may be facing a 15-cent fare hike in the New Year instead of a 10-cent increase that was initially proposed.

City staff are exploring whether a 15-cent hike would be a better solution and if it would help to maintain current service levels.

The extra five cents would raise an additional $15 million and possibly stave off planned service cuts to 62 bus and streetcar routes.

Riders currently pay $3 for a one-way trip.

"I am a little bit of the rogue on this at city hall, but if we are going to hike fares the extra nickel at least allows us to keep the same quality and level of service as opposed to a 10 cent hike where you don't even get quite as much," TTC Vice Chair Peter Milczyn told CP24.

Members of the TTC board will discuss a fare hike at their meeting next week. So far, no fare increase has been approved.

Milczyn said an impending budget shortfall of $100 million in 2013 may make the extra fare hike inevtibale anyway.

"The real problem, and one of the reasons the service reductions were put on the table in the first place, is that in 2013 we run out of buses and that is a $100 million capital problem," he said.