Catch da Flava - Hop On-Hop Off Transfer
For this edition of Health Talks Radio, we discussed how the new budget in Toronto affects the
way in which we spend, and how issues of money directly affects our stress level as students
and youth learning to manage their money may have issues navigating budgets both by
themselves and the effects of the city navigating theirs. The new budget will see more money
invested to expand the subway line, Beyond keeping taxes low, this budget freezes all TTC fares
this year and invests in the Fair Fare Pass for low-income residents so transit remains affordable
and accessible for everyone.
That's why the 2018 budget invests in creating the Hop On-Hop Off transfer. This two-hour transfer will allow people on transit the flexibility to run errands or make stops along their way to work, school, or home for the cost of one fare. The budget freezes all TTC fares this year and invests in the Fair Fare Pass for low-income residents so transit remains affordable and accessible. It will also create the “Hop On- Hop Off” transfer allowing two hour transfer between transit to allow people to run errands and not have to pay extra fare. All panelists agreed that this would be an extreme stress reliever for them, having to not think too much about the cost of public transit. The only issue they have is issues of parking which the budget does not address in creating more accessible parking options.
Another exciting aspect for youth and students is the recent changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program that makes student loans exponentially lowered. Changes in the 2017-2018 plan are eligible students whose parents earn $50,000 or less in annual income will receive enough OSAP grants to cover average tuition. Fifty per cent of students from families with incomes of $83,300 or less will get non-repayable grants that more than cover the average cost of tuition. No eligible student will receive less aid than they are eligible for now under the 30% Off Ontario Tuition grant, and weekly loan limits will increase for all students and continue to be indexed annually to inflation. With these changes, students feel very relieved to the changes. For Erika who went to university before the changes and is currently in college, she’s shared that her school year was free thanks to a great deal of grants she received from OSAP.
We’d like to thank our guest panelists Beverly, Erika, and Judy for sharing their thoughts on how the new budget affects their stress levels, and how they feel about the changes.
Listen to Podcast:That's why the 2018 budget invests in creating the Hop On-Hop Off transfer. This two-hour transfer will allow people on transit the flexibility to run errands or make stops along their way to work, school, or home for the cost of one fare. The budget freezes all TTC fares this year and invests in the Fair Fare Pass for low-income residents so transit remains affordable and accessible. It will also create the “Hop On- Hop Off” transfer allowing two hour transfer between transit to allow people to run errands and not have to pay extra fare. All panelists agreed that this would be an extreme stress reliever for them, having to not think too much about the cost of public transit. The only issue they have is issues of parking which the budget does not address in creating more accessible parking options.
Another exciting aspect for youth and students is the recent changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program that makes student loans exponentially lowered. Changes in the 2017-2018 plan are eligible students whose parents earn $50,000 or less in annual income will receive enough OSAP grants to cover average tuition. Fifty per cent of students from families with incomes of $83,300 or less will get non-repayable grants that more than cover the average cost of tuition. No eligible student will receive less aid than they are eligible for now under the 30% Off Ontario Tuition grant, and weekly loan limits will increase for all students and continue to be indexed annually to inflation. With these changes, students feel very relieved to the changes. For Erika who went to university before the changes and is currently in college, she’s shared that her school year was free thanks to a great deal of grants she received from OSAP.
We’d like to thank our guest panelists Beverly, Erika, and Judy for sharing their thoughts on how the new budget affects their stress levels, and how they feel about the changes.
Download MP3
Comments