03-07-2025
Eligible CBRM residents will soon be able to ride the bus for free
Opportunities and Social Development Minister Scott Armstrong makes an announcement in Sydney Mines, N.S., on July 3, 2025. (Ryan MacDonald/CTV Atlantic)
Eligible Nova Scotians living in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality will soon be able to ride public transit for free.
Residents on income assistance, along with their spouses and dependents, will receive a free Transit Cape Breton pass under the province's Free Bus Pass Program.
Disability Support Program participants are also eligible for the program, which is expected to launch in the fall.
'Having the freedom to move around your community – to get to work, appointments, school, or to simply connect with others – is something many people count on every day,' said Opportunities and Social Development Minister Scott Armstrong in a news release Thursday.
'Through our new community bus pass program, we're working with our partners at CBRM on a solution that gives more people access to reliable public transportation and the freedom and opportunity that come with it.'
CBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke says the program will remove a financial barrier for many residents who struggle to get around, leading to greater equity in the community.
'Whether it's getting to a job interview, a medical appointment or the grocery store, this program will make everyday life more accessible for those who need it most,' said Clarke.
The Free Bus Pass program first launched as a pilot project in the Halifax Regional Municipality in 2018. It became a permanent project in 2021.
The province says people who are eligible for the program are not required to provide proof of their transportation needs in order to receive a free bus pass.
The Nova Scotia government says about 7,265 people in CBRM are eligible for the program while about 8,900 people are currently using the program in HRM.
As for the cost, the province says that will depend on uptake.
More information about the program is expected to be released later this summer.
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