WATERLOO REGION - Fares for light rail and Grand River Transit will be the same and won't be significantly hiked, regional politicians said this week.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Region of Waterloo officials discussed public misconceptions about fares when the light rail system launches.

"I've been hearing this from people that ride the bus and they seem to think . that there's going to be a separate cost for the Ion and the GRT," Coun. Jane Mitchell said. "Is there anything we can do . to make people understand it's all one system?

"The rumours are out there and I think it needs to be addressed."

Mitchell said she's heard from people who ride the bus and think fares will be doubled when light rail launches in 2018. The current Grand River Transit fare is about $3.50.

Coun. Tom Galloway said there is no plan to hike fares when light rail transit gets going.

"We do increase fares from time to time on an annual basis but I don't think it's anticipated there's going to be a bump in the financial plan when the LRT (starts,)" he said.

Galloway said he has also heard from residents confused about fares.

"I think maybe, because there's GrandLinq involved and GRT involved, some people think that we're not in control of what happens. In fact, we are," he said.

The region typically does raise bus fares every year in July.

A new Grand River Transit business plan, expected later this year, will offer more detail on potential increases.

In the past, the goal has been to slowly edge toward 50 per cent recovery of the cost of operating the system through fares.

Last year, fares brought in nearly $32 million. Expenditures were about $105 million.

According to a 2014 report, the region hopes light rail fares will bring in more than $9 million in revenue in 2018, assuming a full year of operation.

In terms of how buses and trains will be integrated, residents will be able to transfer between the two and the fare will be the same for both.

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Later this year or early in 2017, Grand River Transit will start converting to a fare card system, which is electronic. It will allow residents to load a card and swipe it to ride.

There will be about a six-month window to complete the conversion from tickets to cards, and install the new technology on buses.