Editor,

Apocalyptic announcements are not exclusive of Hollywood blockbusters. On July 25, TransLink announced projected massive cuts to transit including HandyDART unless there are significant investments to their operating budget.

A 35 per cent cut to HandyDART would be truly apocalyptic. These dramatic reductions would devastate seniors and people with disabilities and possibly risk lives. An inability to access medical services, mental health services and basic human needs like shopping for food would be long lasting and not a short-term inconvenience. These kind of wounds to service would become burdens on the health-care system as people suffer and possibly die without access to critical support. 

Ironically HandyDART workers decided with a 95 percent strike vote that there was no justification of a multinational siphoning tax dollars to manage HandyDART with no investment in operating costs like gas or vehicles. While TransLink prophesises devastation to our public transport, taxpayers unwittingly fund profit. 

Forest fires, flooding, heat domes and homelessness are apocalyptic, without properly funded transit we will keep rewinding the same movie over and over again. Unlike paying to watch reruns, the cost will be the planet. 

Mark Beeching, Langley