FREDERICTON – Today, just before boarding a City bus, Green Party Leader David Coon announced his plan to save public transit in New Brunswick’s cities.

“A Green government will immediately dedicate revenue from the Higgs carbon tax to offset the $2 million-dollar loss in revenue caused by COVID-19 that could shut-down our City transit systems.  I will unlock the federal dollars aimed at improving public transportation, that Blaine Higgs has left on the table,” said Green Party leader David Coon. “Public transit is an essential service for people of all ages in our cities, and an essential part of effective plans to grow our cities, support our seniors, reduce poverty and fight climate change.  We cannot lose this public service.”

Fredericton is forecasting a loss of $770,000 in transit revenue this year, with Moncton/Riverview/Dieppe and Saint John forecasting losses of $756,000 and $505,000, because of COVID-19. 

The mayors of six New Brunswick cities wrote the Premier on July 24, 2020 asking that he not leave federal dollars on the table for public transit.

“For me, an essential element of our cities’ agendas must be for the Province to ensure that they can provide effective and convenient public transportation services to their citizens,” said Coon.