A report before a city committee says it would cost the City of Winnipeg more than $2.4 million dollars to offer free Winnipeg Transit rides to kids 12 and under.
The report says other Canadian cities, Toronto and Edmonton, have started offering free transit fares in recent years.
Toronto saw a sharp rise in ridership among kids and Edmonton saw its operating costs rise along with the drop in fare.
The report estimates that if Winnipeg were to provide free rides for children, it would lose around $834,000 in fare revenue, take on around $200,000 in operating costs and require $1.3 million dollars to purchase two additional buses.
Currently, children five and under receive free bus rides, but the report notes children under the age of 12 are not allowed to be left alone unsupervised in Manitoba, meaning parents may have to bring them along to run errands.
It also notes that Winnipeg Transit is currently developing a proposal for a low-income fare program that would be "targeted at transit riders who most need the discount" and allowing low-income families access to free fares for kids could be an option.
The report was prepared after the infrastructure renewal and public works directed city officials to study options on free transit for kids. It makes no recommendations.
