A Tunnel Question

A reader sent me an interesting comment which I thought I would pass on to see if you, dear reader, had a good explanation for it, other than annoying customers.

• "What's the deal with no coin tokens?? How can a city not get tokens for the tunnel.
  
  Now they are using paper. You cannot take your paper token out of the booklet rather you have to have the guy at the toll booth do it. Why?
  
  And what's the deal with the paper tokens have to be used by September. If I have the coin tokens, I can use them anytime. If I have the paper ones I have to use them by this September.
  
  The best is have the guy in the booth, try to explain why this is ? I even tried asking the guy at customs and he looked at me like I was from outerspace. Not his problem so don't bother me.."
  
  

My guess, look for another big increase in tolls to cover more unexpected Tunnel Ventilation building costs. Costs have increased by $7 million so far to $20 million. I wonder too, given the Transit Windsor $3.5 million subsidy shortfall as reported in the Star, how much is being lost on the Tunnel Bus.

Obviously, the Tunnel does not want people buying paper tokens and giving them out to friends or colleagues. And they do not want coin tokens precisely because they can be used any time.

The other alternative, the Bridge, with its lower tolls, may take away so much business that the Tunnel tolls will have to be reduced! That decision would be made in several months, say by the end of September.

Of course if we had Bill C-3 in force, the Mayor and WTC would complain to the Federal Bureaucrats. Since traffic would have beeen increased at the Bridge, the "flow of traffic" there would no longer be "efficient." Accordingly, the Bridge would be forced by Gvernment to INCREASE its prices to match the new higher ones at the Tunnel.

Weird though, under the Act, the poorer, less successful operator can force the better one to increase prices. So much for protecting the interests of users under this Government! Will Brian Masse take the credit for this part of Bill C-3 too?

UPDATE: I am told that coin tokens are now available!