All you needed was your monthly GO Transit pass.
The introduction of the PRESTO card killed that privilege back in 2009 but did you know Metrolinx and GO Transit employees can bring a guest to ride along for free?
The perk, buried deep in a collective agreement, was questioned by Premier Wynne during a session of the Legislature.
Really? That's a concern for her? What should be a concern is the thousands of GO Transit passengers who continue to be ripped off by PRESTO. I am pretty sure the money we lose to that system due to its fatal flaws far surpasses the loss in fare revenue to complimentary rides. You'd think stealing that privilege away from the fare-paying ridership (Metrolinx employees ride for free) would cancel it out.
BUT I DIGRESS.
12 comments:
This has angered me a lot. The Global News on this is way off the mark.
As an employee of GO I can honestly tell you this.
In the past 12 months I have only encountered 5 employees travling with a companion, 4 of these were from Head Office & not Drivers, Ticket Agents etc...
Kathaleen Wynnne should be more concerned about the 1000's of daily free rides taken by passengers!
You honestly believe everyone has paid or tapped on to the train?
This "Honesty System" is terrible. If Ontarian's were honest our Courts would be a lot quieter & more jail space available!
How about the new Metrolinx policy?
Free ride if you have no money! All you have to say is "I'm trying to get home" FREE RIDE!
Or, the Disability Companion? Yes, you can now just say you have an illness or disability & your friend with you is your companion. FREE RIDE!!
It's endless.
Don't blame GO Frontline workers, vast majority of not all of us can't even use GO to get to work as no locations are on a GO Bus route!
Benjamin (Ben) Dover
More diversion from an incompetent leader.
It's easier to bring attention elsewhere with the little things than concentrate on the real problems that reflect badly on herself and her incompetent minions.
Besides, what can she do if it's in the collective agreement?
Get back to work on that piece of crap Presto there Ms Wynne. That's important.
Where did I blame anyone?
I don't give a shit about the free ride policy other than it should have not been taken away from fare paying passengers. I pay my fare. I want my perk.
AS for fare jumping - that's not my area of expertise.
I think the fare by distance calculation is a bigger problem. Why so much to go not so far?
Every job has its perks. EVERY. This is one of their perks. Like it or lump it, that's how the system works. Quit the bitching. And no, I am not a metrolinx or a go transit employee.
I have a friend whose significant other rides for free with them EVERY DAY. If every Metrolinx employee did this, imagine how much revenue is being lost.
I miss that perk. Only used it 3 times, but I still miss the OPTION of using it.
But, it seems like an odd thing to get all up in arms over. Could be that Wynne, being overwhelmed with various boondoggles, can only deal with the little things right now.
More like she can only deal with things she can immediately change. Push of a button kind of stuff.
It's a perk. Of course it is. Employees of government agencies shouldn't be receiving perks for all sorts of reasons, including the fact that on average, they are paid more than someone in a similar position in the private sector.
As an employee of Go Transit, I can honestly say in my almost 20 years at Go. I have used this little perk 3 times in my entire career. I make no excuse for using it, it is one of our only perks we get as employees. Just like any other employee whether it's a perk in the public or private sector. I know many people who work in the private sector that receive far more perks than the public sector. Almost every job has some sort of perk, whether it's being able to work from home, tickets, discounts on merchandise, discounts on food etc. Its a perk. As someone who has worked at Go for many many years, I find this media coverage disgusting and misleading. I like most frontline workers at Go very seldom if ever use this perk. I also believe that this is just another diversion from the real problem at Go. Which is Kathrine Wynne, Presto and Metrolinx.
I'm all about the P to the O.
Global "news" failed to mention the non metrolinx employees that ride for free - police officers - daily.
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