New Democrats demand a national transit strategy

Canadians deserve rapid, affordable transit, not Conservative inaction

TORONTO – Following the Conservative budget that provides no leadership on transit, today the NDP reiterated their call for a National Public Transit Strategy. NDP Transport Critic Olivia Chow emphasized that across the country, Canadians are fed up with congestion and long commute times. A Twitter campaign is tapping into the frustration transit commuters and to call for federal action.

“The failure to provide federal funding shows that Conservatives are completely out-of-touch with regards to the transit challenges Canadians face every single day,” said Olivia Chow. “We are seeing a collective call to demand that the government address the transit needs of regions across the country, where public transportation is increasingly inadequate, inaccessible and unaffordable.”

The pressure on the Conservative government is increasing with the introduction of a social media campaign that encourages commuters to share their transit stories. Under the hash tags #GoodTransit, #BadTransit and #UglyTransit, Canadians can use Twitter to post comments and photos of what works, what doesn’t and what desperately needs improvement in their daily interaction with public transportation.

“Affordable, reliable transit is the right of every Canadian” adds Olivia, “Commuters have had enough of empty promises and delays, they deserve better. It’s time to take transit seriously to reshape one of the most fundamental services that Canadians rely on every day.”