Plan to Hike Bus Fares and Reduce Service Protested : Transportation: Small but vocal crowd at MTA meeting in Pacoima argues that low-income riders would be hurt.

Proposed fare increases and reductions in bus service introduced at a community transportation meeting drew sharp objections from a small but emotional crowd at the Boys & Girls Club in Pacoima.

Although only a handful of residents showed up for the meeting, sponsored by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, they responded strongly to the possible increase in fares from $1.10 to $1.50, the scaling back of weekend and holiday service, and the cutting of bus lines that run parallel to rail routes.

“What about people who are on GR (general relief) who can barely afford the $1.10 now?” asked Garry Alourdas, a San Fernando resident who said he rides the bus at least twice a day to his job in Arleta.

“You are not taking into consideration the people who can’t afford the bus now. Pretty soon, it will be cheaper to buy a car than ride a bus,” Alourdas said.

A third of Alice Parra’s 300 employees at Precision Dynamics Corp., a manufacturing company in San Fernando, use the bus as their only form of transportation and would be greatly affected, Parra said.

“At $4.25 a hour, they can’t afford increases,” she told the MTA staff. “I am concerned.”

Officials said the MTA, which has a combined operating and capital deficit of $300 million, was forced to consider the cost-cutting measures to balance its budget by fiscal year 1995.

“No one at the MTA or any public transportation provider in the country likes telling their customers that their fares might go up,” said Mark R. Dierking of the MTA. “But we are here today to tell you the truth as we see it.”

Dierking said the changes, which would be effective July 1, would be the first fare increases since 1988, when a basic fare was raised from 85 cents to $1.10.

In addition, the MTA will consider raising the price of monthly bus passes or discontinuing all but senior and disabled passes. Also proposed is the cancellation of late-night service, special-event service and bus lines with low ridership.

A public hearing on the proposals will be held by the MTA at 10 a.m. April 23 in the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple St., Board of Supervisors hearing room, in Los Angeles.