Editor:
Our scarce dollars are not being allocated to the proper transportation priorities.
We ‘south of Fraser’ resident taxpayers recently listened to the province announce $60.5 million in transportation projects for the region (Freeway on-ramp official, Oct. 16).
Unfortunately, TransLink is not included in the province’s transportation budget. This is wrong. Because of a $30 million funding shortfall, we ‘south of Fraser’ residents are facing withheld transit-service improvements.
And please don’t blame the mayors, who are fighting the province on this issue by holding the line on additional property tax increases (Bus plan rests on mayors, Sept. 20).
I, for one, would gladly forego the $24-million Highway 99/16 Avenue interchange in exchange for better public transit. But it seems our provincial representatives don’t want us to have this kind of choice. All they consider is the need for more tax.
Neil Emmott, White Rock
• • •
An open letter to TransLink board of directors.
I think it is absolutely despicable of your organization to unilaterally increase all fares for service (Transit fares set to increase, Nov. 15).
You do this in a very arrogant fashion, because you can or think you can. You have no consideration or feeling for your customers – us, the general commuting public – and how we might be adversely affected.
I – and I know many thousands will support me here – object most strenuously to your tax increases.
I believe you have done nothing to reduce costs in the grand scale. What have you done about reducing overheads: number and sizes of departments; cutting executive salaries; moving offices to efficient buildings; negotiating efficiencies with unions; buying better equipment; installing turnstiles at all SkyTrain stations and vigorously prosecuting offenders; removing seniors’ discounts; better purchasing agreements; innovative selling of advertising; getting rid of useless employees and not replacing them?
I believe you have not considered these actions seriously, because increasing taxes is a much easier way of doing it, and to hell with your customers.
It will be cheaper for me to be a walk-on passenger on the ferries and hire a car on the other side – thus further reducing your income – and going across at least 10 per cent less from now on.
The more it costs, the less the services will be used.
I will take my car to Vancouver to exclude you from getting my bus fares, park and ride charges and goodwill, even if it costs me more.
Ivan Scott, Surrey