| OCR Text |
Show - .i i. i v ooarc Fares For Bys -j k$ 0Sii Up 1 By GARY R. BLODGETT Effective Jan. 1, Davis County riders of the Utah Transit Authority will be paying 40 cents instead of 30 cents for most rides on UTA buses. THE 10 cents per ride increase was approved by the UTA board of directors a couple of weeks ago. It's the second increase in-crease by the UTA during the year, the last being effective Feb. 1, 1980. The decision to raise the fares was made following a series of public hearings during early December in Davis, Weber and Salt Lake counties. UTA officials said the raise was necessary to meet increasing costs of operation. .THE BOARD'S decision was reached with only one dissenting vote. Board member mem-ber Jack Weiss, who cast the only vote against the proposed increase, said "he could drive his car cheaper than using the He added: "When we start charging our customers a price they can't afford or discourage dis-courage them from riding the bus because of the high price, then we are pricing ourselves right out of the busing serive." HE SUGGESTED, instead, that the UTA reduce or eliminate some of its routes such as those to and from the Salt Lake International Interna-tional Airport or to Kennecott Copper or Thiokol where other means of transportation transporta-tion are available. iTTASiCnLy, the base fare for rising the UTA will be increased from 30 to 40 cents Other changes will also be made effective ' Jan. 1 as follows: SUBSCRIPTION, commuter and ex press fares will also be increased by 10 loye cents from 50 to 60 cents. However, trans- Bran fers will remain free. . ,dCel -Base fare for zone routes will be upped 10 cents from 30 to 40 cents for standard boar, passengers and increased from 15 toju cents for senior citizens and handicappco A( persons. ,hJ -MONTHLY passes for standard cus- Way tomers will be increased from i $10 to i . nat student passes from $6 to $7.50; and sub- need scription, commuter and express passes e from $18 to $22. J .... T?' -Ski fares will also be altered to include Tn a raise from $4 to $5 from the airport to i the Uyt, resorts; from $1 to $2 from downtown w, the resorts; valley ski fares from 50 cent H 75 cents; ski fares from the mouth oMje Th canyon from 50 to 75 cents, but the shu t acCo, between Alta and Snowbird will remain the j k same, 50 cents. ( h SENIOR CITIZEN fares and for tw pet handicapped and children under 5 years Va age, if accompanied by an adult, will re he c main free, the board decided we p. Board members explained that bus fa m j,g all over the country have increased sue j, stantially and that 70 percen t of a I w. Jt, riders in the U.S. pay at least 50 cents fora . b0 one-way ride. ! BOARD Chairman Hughes BnKkJajJ e, explained that the rising cost o fuel, ne , they for new buses, and cost of hving n reas j Sh for employees has made it necessary , n0w increase the bus fares. u!(j "The only alternative," h? sa' ' etes J be to cut services. With the incre sear 0 e we hope to increase the standard of our bav service." |
