Getting around Metro Vancouver is going to cost many commuters more, starting now. Taxes are going up on gas and parking, and transit fares are being hiked, too.
TransLink’s parking tax is increasing by three per cent to 24 per cent. It applies to lots that charge by the hour, day, or month. Kris Sims with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said that adds up to about an extra 15 cents an hour on an average five-dollar an hour parking spot.
"Mostly we’re going to be seeing a lot of money being paid by drivers, extra money being paid by drivers, just to get around," Sims said.
TransLink’s gas tax is also increasing by one-point-five cents a litre. Sims said there’s also GST on top of that, making it more like one-point-six.
"So we have all layers of government involved here. They’re all sticking your hand in your pocket. We’ve got the municipally administered TransLink tax, it is governed by the province, and federally we have the tax on tax," Sims said.
In addition, transit fares are increasing: riders will pay five to ten cents more for single fares, 25-cents more for day passes, two to three dollars more for monthly passes, and 25-cents more for West Coast Express return tickets and return passes.
TransLink has said increases help pay for service improvements, and fund future projects.
