For the second time in a year, the Town of Bowden has raised the cost of using its community bus.
At a recent meeting, Bowden council passed a motion raising the rate community groups, in-town seniors and the Bowden Grandview School pay to use the bus from 60 cents a kilometre to $1.60 per kilometre.
The rate for all other groups increases from 60 cents per kilometre to $2.60 per kilometre.
Mayor Robb Stuart said in a telephone interview the rate increases are due to the rising cost of fuel and bus maintenance.
ìEspecially with $1.40 a litre for diesel right now, our old rates were just not applicable anymore,î he said.
The new rates are also fairer for small groups of people using the bus to travel to certain destinations such as Olds and Innisfail, Stuart added, since a flat rate was previously in effect for such trips.
Council did discuss the possibility of ìmothballingî the bus, he said.
ìBut that doesn't do anybody any good. We don't mind subsidizing it a little bit, but right now we're losing lots of money on it.î
Stuart also said the $5 flat rate charged for trips from Bowden to Olds, Innisfail and Red Deer was also scrapped.
The last rate increase for the bus was approved in March where the per-kilometre fee was increased to 60 cents from 53 cents.
Council and the town's Community Bus Committee began looking at rate increases again in October due to the bus operating in a deficit and the committee forwarded proposed changes similar to those approved on Feb. 10 to council at its Oct. 28 meeting.
New ice
rent fees
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Bowden council also approved a 10 per cent increase for the rates charged for ice rentals at the Bowden Igloo arena at its recent meeting.
The increase will take effect in September for the start of the 2014-15 ice season at the arena.
Mayor Robb Stuart said the last time the town increased the rates was 2009 and the long gap between rate changes may irk some people.
ìIt's partly our fault. We haven't raised the rates in five years,î he said, adding council also passed a resolution at the meeting to now review ice rental rates every year.
Council did discuss a 15 per cent rate increase, Stuart said, or having a lower rate for local groups using the arena and a higher rate for out-of-town groups.
In the end, however, council ìcompromisedî on the 10 per cent increase for all rates.
Currently, the hourly cost of renting the ice for local young people during prime time hoursóafter 4 p.m. or on weekendsó is $70 before GST is added and the cost for non-local young people is $100.
For local adults, the hourly rate for ice rentals after 4 p.m. or on weekends is $105 and for non-local adults the prime time fee is $115.
