Public transit prices will increase again in the new year, with a single cash fare rising from $3 to $3.25.

The price of a monthly pass will increase from $79.50 to $82.

Users were expecting the price hike -- they've become an annual routine -- but that doesn't mean they're happy about it.

"The fare is expected, but they were expected about level of inflation," said Francois Pepin, the president of Transport 2000.

However the actual rate is increasing by three percent, while inflation for 2014 is about two percent.

"It's six percent in two years. That is a lot for the users," said Pepin.

The price for monthly passes for reduced-fare users are also going up $2, to $49.25.

Pepin used to work at the STM, and he said he hopes the price increases will be accompanied by an improvement in service.

The STM is planning to tweak bus service and adjust metro service on the Blue, Green and Orange lines during rush hour.

“This year we’ll provide more services on the metro system, we’ll put more trains on at peak hours, it will be 400,000 km more service in the metro system,” STM transit chief Philippe Schnobb told CTV Montreal Thursday.

“That’s important because with one km in the metro you can transport a lot more people than one km on the bus, for the same dollar you can get much more people travelling.”

Schnobb said that the three percent increase is in line with other transit corporations in the region.