The Editor,
Re. “Mobility pricing: idea whose time has come” (column, Opinion, The Tri-City News, May 4).
I totally and absolutely disagree with just about every point Marc Lee, an economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, made in his column.
Mobility pricing is nothing more than a cash grab dreamed up by our mayors. Until such time as we have a completely efficient public transportation system everywhere in Metro Vancouver, mobility pricing will just penalize all the drivers who have to get to work in the morning and home at night, truckers who put on lots of kilometres doing their job and others such as me who have family spread around the region and have to drive as there is no other way.
If truckers have to pay more under mobility pricing, they will just charge their customers, such as grocery stores, more and they will have to charge higher prices to the public, so even people who don’t drive will pay more.
Mr. Lee also doesn’t think drivers pay the full cost of their trips. Well, who does he think paid for all the roads and bridges and maintenance? We all did with our taxes.
We are not London or Stockholm and I do not believe for one second that mobility pricing will reduce congestion in Metro Vancouver. I gladly will pay any surcharge or extra property taxes if they are specifically earmarked for new rapid transit projects or other major transportation improvements such as replacing the George Massey Tunnel or twinning the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge.
We badly need both of these projects.
Glenn Rickard, Coquitlam
