It’s been just over a month since Hamilton rolled out its new Fare Assist program for its public transit service, and Sharon Ruttan says she’s fed up.

The visually impaired Hamiltonian says she’s been using public transit in the city just fine for decades — but when she heard about the new program, she began to worry.

“One day, I got on the bus, and I was close to tears because I wasn’t sure I was doing things right.”

She says the new program, which provides low-income residents with a discounted fare, is difficult to navigate.

“It’s been really hard,” she said. “In the fact that the whole Presto system isn’t accessible — especially for people with vision loss.”

In addition to the difficulty managing the Presto system, Ruttan’s says its a financial burden.

“I’ve ridden the bus free all my life. There’s a lot of us struggling financially, even though they say they’re giving us a 30 per cent discount, you’re still paying a fare you never had to pay before.”

For Ruttan, the switch means she now has to pay an extra $41 a month. “It’s been a struggle, as you know the cost of everything has gone up,” she adds.

Recently, the Disability Justice Network of Ontario joined the fight and is calling on the city to scrap the program.

“The idea that we are increasing fares for folks who otherwise have had this access for decades is fundamentally disgusting,” Brad Evoy, a spokesperson with the organization, says.

“We’ve heard from members of the community that this is pushing people away from transit and creating a whole host of confusion and possibly confrontation when they’re just looking to get from one place to another in Hamilton.

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