A TTC Board Member Doesn't Know The Cost Of A Ride & Commuters Are Furious (VIDEO)

This isn't a great look. A City of Toronto councillor at a TTC board meeting unintentionally revealed he actually seems to have no idea how much fare costs for commuters. This all happened while the councillor was part of a meeting discussing new budget plans for the commission, including a proposed fare hike. The footage has caught a lot of attention on social media and riders are absolutely not impressed.

“What’s the cost of TTC fare? $3, something like that?” says Councillor Jim Karygiannis in the short clip of the meeting held which was held on Monday, Dec. 16.

The footage, shared by City News' Tina Yazdani, was taken from the TTC's final board meeting of 2019. The gathering was focused on the 2020 TTC and Wheel-Trans Operating Budgets.

The actual price of a single ride on the TTC is $3.25 so Karygiannis wasn't too far off. But it seems it's the perceived flippant nature of his comment that has angered consumers.

For context on that anger, at the board meeting in question, the TTC approved a proposed budget that would implement a 10-cent fare hike.

That fare hike, according to the TTC's report, in addition to funds from the city itself, is intended to go towards making services "more seamless and reliable to improve customer satisfaction."

Karygiannis' comment came after he had questioned a statement made which supposedly suggested taxis were cheaper than riding the TTC.

While trying to make a point, the Scarborough-Agincourt councillor showed he was not exactly up to speed on the cost of the services that the commission he helps to represent provides. 

Karygiannis' comment, and the manner and context in which he made it, has angered many Torontonians who pay daily to use the TTC's transit.

"It is $3.25 adult, so $6.50 round trip. It is too much already. People will not support an increase," reads one tweet in response to his comment and the approved budget.

"Yes, and you should know the price if you sit on TTC Board," the message continued. "Wheel-Trans needs better service/more reservation agents/customer service agents."

Riders would most likely see the price hike come into effect by March 2020.

According to CP24, the increase would affect PRESTO fares by raising an adult ride to $3.20, a monthly adult pass to $156, and youth or senior rides to $2.25 each.

Youth or senior cash fares would increase to $2.30. The current cash fare for adults would remain the same.

Hopefully, TTC stations' PRESTO machines can take the extra coins.

What people may or may not feel about the amount of the hike is up for debate. The prevailing feeling among the TTC's vocal ridership, though, is that people on the board should at least know exactly how much it costs daily users.

More info on Monday's approved budget can be found here.

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