Low-Income Groups to Protest UTA Surcharge Plan

May 13, 2008 by Eric Ray

(KCPW News) Last month's announcement by the Utah Transit Authority that it's considering adding a fuel surcharge to ticket prices has low-income advocates rallying their troops for this week's public hearings.

"When we did some research on it, we found that [UTA} are increasing their prices 30%, and the increase in fuel prices are 11% to them," says Barbara Toomer, Vice Chair of the board of the Disabled Rights Action Committee. "It seems to me this is another thing UTA is using to grab more money, especially from people who are poor."

Toomer says rising fuel costs are driving more people to use public transportation. She says those ridership increases should offset UTA's fuel costs.

The proposed surcharge would go into effect on July 1. It would add 25 cents to the price of an adult bus or TRAX ticket, 15 cents for seniors and Medicare recipients. Toomer says the money to pay for the rising costs of fuel should come from within UTA.

"They can afford to pay their top people more than the Governor of the state of Utah. I think maybe we ought to start cutting prices there. Maybe they should stop giving them bonuses," says Toomer. "I dont' care how they do it, but that board needs to figure out a way to make transportation affordable."

Members of the Disabled Rights Action Committee, the Anti-Hunger Action Committee, and several other groups plan to speak out against the fuel surcharge at a public meeting today. The meeting will be held at 5:30 the UTA offices at 3600 South and 700 West in Salt Lake City. UTA's board of trustees will meet May 28th to decide if the fuel surcharge will be adopted.

Click here for more UTA information on the surcharge.

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