U of S passes U-Pass

Students vote in favour of an undergraduate universal bus pass after highest voter turn-out on record

WENDY GILLIS THE SHEAF (UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN)

SASKATOON — University of Saskatchewan undergraduate students approved a two-year probationary universal bus pass system to come into place for the 2007-08 academic year, in the highest voter turnout on record at the U of S.

Of the 7,852 students (43 per cent voter turnout) who voted in the referendum held Feb. 7 and 8, 59 per cent approved the implementation of a U-Pass system that will cost undergraduate students $118 per year.

Vice-president (student issues) Ashlee Smith said the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU) is pleased that the result of the referendum this year was different than the one held in 2002, when students voted against the U-Pass. She said certain changes made this year played a major role in the U-Pass referendum’s success.

“I think a lot had to do with the exemptions that were negotiated this time around. Last time, there were no exemptions for residence students and students living outside Saskatoon city limits,” Smith said, adding that sustainability initiatives made by environmentally conscious students also contributed.

Jeff Balon, the manager of Saskatoon Transit, said the company is excited about offering the U-Pass to students, and the potential for attracting more riders in the future.
“It’s a real opportunity to get people on the bus, have them as riders after they graduate from university, and carry that sustainability and that environmental consciousness throughout their lives,” he said.

Balon said the door has now been opened for other student groups, such as the U of S graduate or Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology students, to implement a similar system, and that the company will be approaching these groups “in the not-too-distant future.”

The U-Pass is a break-even venture for Saskatoon Transit, meaning that like most transit programs across North America, it will not create a profit. However, Balon said there is an allotment in the U-Pass price for the service enhancements that will be required from the expected 30 to 50 per cent increase in ridership next year from the U-Pass.

Saskatoon Transit is currently conducting an audit of their new bus services that came into effect in July. They will be looking at enhancing the routes with high student ridership to provide the best services to students come fall.

The USSU is mandated to hold another referendum in 2009, at which time students will decide if a U-Pass will be implemented permanently.

In Manitoba, the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) is currently in the process of negotiating a four-month post-secondary bus pass for students.