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Transit: to live or die

To the Editor: Well I have not written a letter since the big water issue. lt is time to speak again. I’m sorry to beat the horse but this subject hits home.

To the Editor:

Well I have not written a letter since the big water issue. lt is time to speak again. I’m sorry to beat the horse but this subject hits home. We all cry when we have things taken away but what do we do to help out? Ten years ago a fellow at City Hall by the name Randy Patrick found out there were grants for city transit buses. He invested into the city having there own buses. Transit was through Grey Goose Bus Lines then taking over by Greyhound Bus Lines. They had no idea what to do so they contracted it to these companies.

The crunch has hit Thompson all at once. Everybody isreeling and hitting the panic button. Vale cutbacks, water treatment plant, Norplex Pool Issue, transit issue, retail stores closing down, body shop closing down, the list goes on. Back to the main subject. If you use the transit, pay your proper fare – $2 adults, $1.50 senior and students. Every little no pay or less pay in a day’s run adds up to a lot of pay in a year. Cheap is good if we all pay. For example, seniors living at Rotary Place pay $10 to get to the Plaza compared to a $2 bus ride, a difference of $8. How often do you think they go out on a limited income with all the other expense they have to pay for? We have to realize that in Thompson
is getting older and so are we. We built a seniors’ home. How are they going to fill it if the people have no way of getting to the downtown area?They probably will look at other towns that have more to offer. Ends up with bad luck for Thompson.

Let’s all realize, yes, it is expensive to run the transit system. You have the cost of buses,diesel fuel which is higher than gas, service people, drivers, maintenance, breakdowns. This is normal withyour own vehicle. New or used, there is no guarantee. Let's all get together and try some new things insteadof leaving things they way the are. The future has changed in the last 10 years. Let's change the way transit is run. Ideas of changing hours in slow times, maybe smaller coaches, different runs, not running bus when there are no people being carried. We can make it work by putting our heads together. Anything is possible if you try. Just do not say goodbye. If you want it, fight for It. Well now I have spoken my piece. I’m a fighter. Just do not mouse away then cry the blues when you do not get what you want. Thanks for reading. Let’s win.

Don Kern

Thompson

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