UTA Pilot Program to Help Needy Riders

The Utah Transit Authority said Thursday that it will start a pilot program next month to help cut the cost of a bus pass for low- income riders.

The program, which is planned to run from April to September, will allow people to use their Utah Horizon Card to purchase bus and TRAX passes for a 10 percent discount. The Horizon Card acts as a sort of “debit card” for people on state assistance to buy food and other necessities.

If deemed successful after September, UTA says it will continue the program permanently.

Monthly transit passes cost about $50. The discount will reduce the cost to $45.

“When you’re on such a limited budget, every little bit helps,” UTA spokesman Justin Jones said Thursday.

But Bill Tibbitts, with the Anti-Hunger Action Committee in Salt Lake City, said that while he liked the idea of discounting transit passes, it was ironic that UTA was implementing the program at the same time it is proposing increases in fares.

“It’s a 10 percent discount at the same time they’re looking at raising prices for passes a lot more than that,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to be excited about that.”

The discounted tickets will be sold beginning the first of April. They will be available at grocery stores and UTA pass outlets.

(c) 2007 Deseret News (Salt Lake City). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.