Re: Bus Service in Kelowna
Posted: Dec 2nd, 2017, 10:41 pm
The Kelowna Regional Transit system is built to service UBCO essentially. It is also useful for the marginalized among us. Mayor Basran was asked at his coffee with the mayor show, "would you be a supporter of a community run transportation system". Mayor Basran answered "no". Mayor Basran cited cost for his reasoning. Meanwhile the city requests a gas tax to increase transit revenue. The question of a transportation system was put to him deliberately as the current Transit system is unsustainable as the 2 groups of riders can not afford to fund it. The students and the marginalized are, no disrespect intended, users of the system. A new model must be looked at. The Okanagan Transit Authority, OTA, is an idea being pushed to create a system accountable to the communities it serves. This model would be implemented as a Transportation system which the residential and business components of the service areas are engaged and encouraged to utilize the asset in a much bigger way. The fare boxes would be removed, bus safety and scheduling would be better off as a result. The OTA would also involve additional assets like bike and car share among other components to accomplish specific destinations. Is the concept expensive , yes to start and then reduces over time with the enhancement of carbon dollars funneling into the system. The current model of minimal service run by a foreign entity taking profits overseas to it's shareholders is ridiculous and unsellable. Mayor Basran must see the merits of a community based transportation system over our current Transit system to be able to argue credibly that buses are the answer and convince the public that increasing funding will help them personally and the communities as a whole.