Toronto gas prices are so high that people are finding alternative ways to get around

Gas prices in Ontario continue to skyrocket to historic levels, and it’s only expected to get worse.

The average price of a litre of fuel in the GTA is currently $1.84.9, representing a massive increase of 25 cents over the last week, and analysts are predicting it will rise even more in the coming days as a result of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

With some experts expecting the cost of gasoline to surpass $2 a litre within weeks, many GTA residents are ditching their vehicles and trying to find cheaper ways of getting around.

Spokespeople for the TTC and GO Train both told CP24 they’ve noticed a slight increase in ridership over the past several days, though they said it’s difficult to know for sure whether this is due to gas prices or the city reopening.

Anecdotal evidence from Twitter users, however, suggests that many people are making the switch from driver to transit rider as a result of exorbitant prices.

Toronto residents have taken to social media this week to confess that they’re pulling out their Presto cards, however reluctantly, because who can really afford to spend thousands of dollars on gas?

Many who have the privilege of being able to walk or take transit to get around are doing just that, but there are also those who are left in an impossible situation: they need to drive to work but simply can’t afford to.

With no end to these sky-high prices in sight, it’s no suprise that those who can are resorting to cheaper travel options, and it remains to be seen whether the TTC and GO Train — both of which greatly suffered from low ridership levels during the pandemic — will have to ramp up service to meet the growing demand.