B.C. rolling out free transit for kids starting in September

Victoria -

British Columbia’s youngest residents will be able to ride all forms of public transit for free starting next month.

The province announced Monday that children 12 years old and younger will no longer be required to pay fares on any BC Transit or TransLink service starting Sept. 1.

The initiative is part of the government’s “Get on Board” program, and was first revealed in the provincial budget in April.

“Free transit for children 12 and under makes life more affordable for families,” Premier John Horgan said in a statement Monday.

“Taking public transit is a great choice,” Horgan added. “It offers a cleaner, low-carbon way of getting around that works for people, communities and the environment. The ‘Get on Board’ program will also encourage a new generation of transit riders.”

The province says the change will save approximately $687 a year for households that buy a monthly youth TransLink pass, or $420 per year for households that buy a monthly BC Transit children’s pass.

“We are excited to launch a program that will benefit parents and caregivers and make life more affordable for families across B.C.,” said B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming in the statement.

“As we rebuild transit systems and ridership after the pandemic, this new program will encourage people to get onboard with the potential to save families hundreds of dollars every year,” Fleming said.

The B.C. government says approximately 370,000 children in B.C. will benefit from the program when it launches.

“This initiative will create lifelong transit riders, build better, more inclusive and sustainable communities and move us all further along the pathway to cleaner and stronger British Columbia,” said George Heyman, B.C.’s environment minister and the minister responsible for TransLink. “More people choosing public transit means fewer vehicles on the road, reduced traffic congestion and cleaner air for everyone.”

TransLink bus riders 12 years old and younger will not be required to show a transit pass or identification to ride for free. Nor will they need to be accompanied by a fare-paying customer. However, children riding the Skytrain, West Coast Express or SeaBus will need to be accompanied by a fare-paying customer to allow them to pass through fare gates.

The province says a maximum of four children 12 and under can be accompanied by one fare-paying customer on a fare-gated TransLink service.

Children 12 and under who are registered HandyDART customers or children who are accompanying a HandyDART customer will be able to travel for free on TransLink HandyDART services without paying a fare or showing identification.

Unaccompanied children aged six to 12 will be able to ride BC Transit buses and HandyDART vehicles for free, without requiring a fare product or identification. BC Transit will require children aged five and under to be accompanied by a person 12 or older.

“It is my hope that by making public transit more affordable, this program will encourage families to take transit more frequently, give children the opportunity to see public transit as a comfortable, reliable way to get around, and serve as an important part of our efforts to reduce carbon emissions,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn.

“Providing safe, reliable and affordable public transportation is our top priority, and we support this program to help families get around more affordably,” BC Transit president Erinn Pinkerton said. “This is a great opportunity to grow young ridership, create lifelong transit users and further reduce congestion on our roads.