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Pumped Transit

AS GAS PRICES CONTINUE TO CLIMB, MOTORISTS ARE HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT THEY DRIVE... AND HOW OFTEN.

AND WHAT OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION ARE OUT THERE.

KINGSTON TRANSIT IS HOPING TO GET SOME MILEAGE OUT OF DRIVER FRUSTRATION AT THE PUMPS.

NEWSWATCH'S STU HAY HAS THAT STORY.

WE ALL KNOW THE COST OF GAS IS GOING THROUGH THE ROOF.

THE LATEST AND BIGGEST JUMP PUTS THE PRICE AT MORE THAN 1.20 A LITRE.

A LEVEL NOT SEEN SINCE THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA THAT DAMAGED OIL REFINERIES 3 YEAR AGO.

"ITS RIDICULOUS"

BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

FOR MANY MOTORISTS, THE ANSWER IS GRIN AND BEAR IT.

ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO LIVE OUT OF TOWN, AND HAVE NO CHOICE TO GET TO WORK EVERY DAY.

"PAST NAPANEE, AND ITS ABOUT 25 DOLLARS A DAY ROUND TRIP TO GO TO WORK."

BUT THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE CITY DO HAVE OTHER OPTIONS.

AND TAKING THE BUS TOPS THE LIST.

RIDERSHIP IS UP SO MUCH, KINGSTON TRANSIT ACTUALLY RAN OUT OF MONTHLY PASSES LAST WEEK.

PAULA NICHOLS

"TO ME THAT SAYS PEOPLE ARE COMMITTING TO TRANSIT VERSUS TRYING OUT OCCASIONALLY.

THEY ARE ACTUALLY MAKING A COMMITMENT."

AND KINGSTON TRANSIT IS USING THESE HIGH FUEL PRICES TO ATTRACT EVEN MORE RIDERS.... BY MAKING THE SERVICE MORE CONVENIENT.

PAULA

"WE HAVE NICER BUSSES OUT THERE NOW, WE'VE GOT MORE FREQUENT ROUTES, MORE DIRECT ROUTES.

WE'VE TRIED TO STRAIGHT LINE THE ROUTES A LOT."

AND WITH NICER WEATHER, OTHERS ARE BYPASSING THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE COMPLETELY.

OPTING FOR PEDAL POWER INSTEAD.

"THEY ARE MINIMAL UPKEEP AND THEY ARE NICE WAY TO GET AROUND AND GET YOUR EXERCISE IN TOO."

NOT TO MENTION REDUCING HARMFUL CARBON EMISSIONS.

MORE MOTORISTS WHO ARE ALARMED BY SKYROCKETING GAS RATES ARE MAKING THE SWITCH TO FUEL EFFICIENT VEHICLES.

"I HAVE A GAS MISER, A LITTLE STANDARD TRANSMISSION FORD FOCUS.

SO I DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO TAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT."

AND MANY OTHERS ARE JUST CHOOSING TO DRIVE LESS.

AND WITH PREDICTIONS THAT GAS RATES COULD GO EVEN HIGHER THIS SUMMER, MORE MOTORISTS WILL BE TAKING A HARD LOOK AT THEIR DRIVING HABITS... AND THE PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVES OUT THERE.

THOSE WHO DON'T WILL CONTINUE TO PUMP MORE MONEY OUT OF THEIR WALLETS.

STU HAY CKWS NEWSWATCH KINGSTON.

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