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Page 6, January 31, 1979-- North Shore News

The ABC of the UTA

For us city slickers the moment ‘of truth is at
hand in the matter of public transit —- meaning, at .
the moment, bus travel. Even if you never ride a
bus from one year's end to the next, you’re soon

- going to begin paying more and more for public: -

transit. At the gas pump. On your home elec-
‘ tricity bill. Eventually on your property taxes.
And, appropriately enough, it starts on All Fools

Day.

_ April 1, 1979, is the date
on which the UTA effectively
takes over the respons-
ibility for the running of
buses (plus one or two transit
oddities like the SeaBus)
throughout the province.

UTA? I’m glad’you asked.

The initials stand for
Urban Transit Authority,
which was created the better
part of a year ago by our
masters in Victoria. Many
hard-working -and otherwise
preoccupied citizens, I’ve
discovered, are still unaware
of its significance or even its
existénce, let alone jts
predatory designs on théir
pocketbooks.

In order to understand the
basic thinking behind the
UTA, we must start with the
bus service throughout B.C.
as they have been operating
to date. And the first fact to
appreciate is that they all
operate at a loss - though
some more than cthers.

BIGGEST MONEY-LOSER

In the boondocks like
Prince George, Kamloops
and Kelowna (and _ also,

- incidentally, in West Van-
couver) the buses are run ata
loss by the_local authorities...
In the Greater Vancouver
and Victoria areas they have
hitherto been run by B.C.
Hydro, which has been
- chalking up the biggest loss
of all - something over $60
million a year at last count,
as I recall. Which is hardly
surprising when you consider
that the two metropolitan
areas contain two-thirds of
the population of B.C.

The provincial government
has long been reconciled to
covering these transit losses
with subsidies from its tax
revenue, but a year or so ago
it apparently hit on two new
ideas:

1. The boondocks were
getting a raw deal. Not only
did they payis much as they
could afford for their own
local bus services; their
citizens, through their elect-
ticitiy bills, also helped
subsidize B.C. Hydro’s Van-
couver and Victoria buses,
which they had no opportun-
ity to use. A bad case of
double taxation, said the
Socred government - much of

whose voting support
happens to lie in the smaller
interior communities.

2. Why not make the
Vancouver and Victoria
municipalities responsible
for collecting part of the

needed subsidy money from”

their own local taxpayers?
why should Victoria continue
to foot the entire bill for
BC.’s two metropolitan
areas?

From these two ideas the
UTA was conceived. It would
assume ultimate control of all
public transit in B.C. and, in
particular, take over transit
reponsibilities from B.C.
Hydro in Greater Vancouver
and Victoria. Most important
of all, it would make local
councils responsible - within
the next five years - for
paying 40 per cent or more of
the inevitable transit losses
by means of municipal levies
and taxes.

65 - 70% DEFICIT

The way the UTA scheme
works, in simple terms, is as
follows.

Bus services; generally,
are assumed {0 cover 30 to 35
per cent of their operating

. expenses from fares (35.6

per cent was the B.C. Hydro
figure for last year, taking
into account the last, fare
increase to $ .5O on Hydro
buses).

Of the assumed 65-70 per
cent deficit, the UTA will
pick up the tab for 7S per
cent and the municipalities
for 25 per cent for the next
two years. Thereafter the
proportion changes until, by
1984, the UTA is paying only
60 per cent and the municip-
alities’ 40 per cent of the
deficit.

Several hundred gallons of
water gushed forth when a
car accidently hit and activ-
ated an overhead sprinkler
system in the parking area of
an apartment in Panorama
Village at 2247 Folkstone
Way in West Vancouver
Monday aftermoon.

Noel Wright

That isn’t quite all, how-
ever.

If the bus services earn
less than the prescribed
30-35 per cent of their
operating expenses from the
farebox, the municipalities
pay for that difference too, in
addition to their basic. ob-
ligation.

How are the municipalities
going to raise the money?

The act establishing the
UTA magnanimously pro-

vides them with three
options.
First, the municipalities

are allowed to impose an
additional gasoline sales tax
of three cents per gallon
(which may encourage you to
get out of your oar and pay
bus fares instead).

POWER SURCHARGES

Secondly, the municipal-
ities are empowered to add
surcharges to your household
electricity bill (which you'll
have to pay even if you never
move anywhere except on
you own two feet, or by
bicycle).

If these two money-raising
schemes still aren't sufficient
to cover your local govern-
ment’s share of the losses,

King sized carwash

There was no ‘damage
because the flooding water
flowed directly to a drain.

CLASSIFIED

986-6272

LOOKING FCR TRUSTWORTHY AUTO TECHNICIANS?
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APPOINTMENTS

5 |

. official

municipalities are authorized
to raise the “balance by.
increasing property taxes.
All this, as I say, takes
effect from next
April 1. Just how soon you'll Itis a **fun run” organized
actually have to start paying _by Mrs. Betty Beaton, of
out is not yet quite clear, but 4391 Water Lane, West
the first thing to hit you will Vancouver on behalf of

likely be the additional pyijcide Secondary School.

FRANK

At least 500 participants

Hillside Hustle slated for
Stanley Park on Sunday,
' February 11.

the gasoline pump. The
surcharges on household
electricity bills will probably
follow in short order.

Hikes in property taxes to
keep the buses running may
be postponed for two or three
years, but don’t bet too much
on-it.

There’s a great deal more"
to be said - by way of both
facts and comment - about
the UTA and, more specific-
ally, the effects it is likely to
have on the pocketbooks of
North Shre residents. We'll
return to the subject in the
next edition of FOCUS.

- Meanwhile, remember
what those UTA intials really
stand for: YOU - TAXED
AGAIN!

SAYS

Scrumptious chicken
in. a fun-filled
chicken house.

are expected to run in the |

BAKER

se

Five hundred join
the Hillside hustle

She says proceeds from
the event which will cover 3.1
miles through: Stanley Park,
starting at~10 a.m. from
Brockton Oval, will go to the
school’s ‘athletic fund.

‘Entrance fee is $2 per

. person and registration takés

place at 9:30 a.m. with a host

‘of prizes to be drawn for, :
Says Mrs. Beaton.

“All The Chicken |
You Can Eat”

1°3.49

Great fun for the youngsters on our weigh

scales ...
because every

child has the
right to smile

‘much they weigh.

Open from 4:30 p.m.

their chicken dinner may be FREE,
$1.49, $1.99 or $2.49 depending on how

FRANK BAKER’S
CHICKEN HOUSE

Taylor Way & Marine Dr. 922-3224 |

‘‘the best bargain on two legs’’

**Disguise’’ Panty and
Hose-in-one.

Cotton panty (not in

Victoria) & antron panty.
S.A. &T.

Panty Hose with

Panel Back 7
All sheer, reinforced toe.
Reg., reinforced panty &
toe. Tall Girl, as above.
Queen Size-Mini or Maxi
Reinforced panty & toe.

Stockings, Mesh, nude
heel, reinforced toe.
Knee Highs.

Reinforced toe.

Anklets

One-Size-Panty Hose.
Reinforced toe or
Sandalfoot.

1.19

Reg. Price Sale Price
each pr.

$2.

3 prs. for

4.99

3 prs. for

4.19

3 prs. for

4.45

3 prs. for

2.45

3 prs. for

1.95

3 prs. for

1.69

3 prs. for

2.89

All in Whisper Spring Fashion Shades.

Subai

622 Granville
Park Royal
Victoria