The fares on the bus go down, down, down?
UMSU wants reduced bus passes
KERRI WOLOSZYN STAFF
Many University of Manitoba students use Winnipeg Transit to get to and from the campus on a daily basis. The University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) thinks that students are paying too much to ride the bus everyday and are trying to do something about it. And once again it seems that the University of Manitoba is a tad late jumping on the bandwagon.
As reported in the Manitoban on Feb. 21, 2007, UMSU has been in negotiations with Winnipeg Transit in order to get four-month post-secondary bus passes that would be at a further reduced fare. Currently post-secondary students pay $57 per month for a bus pass. That is a whopping $456 for an eight-month period. While a parking pass is less expensive at $439 a year, when considering other costs associated with driving — gas, insurance, maintenance — the bus is still much cheaper. But the cost of a bus pass for a full year of school in Manitoba is much more than the cost of transit for students at other universities.
In 2004 the Manitoban reported that a universal bus pass for students was being considered by Winnipeg Transit and UMSU. So, why has it taken so long for the matter to be brought up again?
A recent referendum for universal bus passes at the University of Saskatchewan had the highest voter turnout ever recorded. The Feb. 22 issue of the Sheaf, U of S’s student newspaper, reported that 59 per cent of voters were in favour of the yearly pass that would cost the paltry sum of $118 per year. There was a referendum for a universal bus pass at the U of S in 2002 but students voted against it. Some think that the fact that there were no exemptions for the pass during the original referendum was unappealing to many students. The new pass, which will be implemented for the 2007-08 school year, will be available to all students, but those living outside the city limits and residence students will be exempt.
Similarly, the University of British Columbia (UBC) has had a mandatory U-Pass since 2003. The U-Pass website explains that “transit ridership has become the preferred mode of travel among all UBC commuters and now accounts for 42 per cent of all trips.” The pass gives students unlimited use of Vancouver’s bus system as well as the SkyTrain and the SeaBus. The U-Pass costs $22 per month ($176 per year!) and is paid for with other student fees and tuition each term. All students who are assessed student fees get the pass and there is little room for exemption.
Clearly, forcing people to pay for a bus pass at a reduced price makes the idea of taking the bus to and from school everyday an inviting option for some. It might also make it an even more unappealing option for others. Forcing someone into something is often the cause of resentment. However, what UMSU has in mind for the four-month pass is unlikely to be anything that drastic. Reducing the price for folks who agree to take the bus for a full term would seemingly make transit a more viable option for students who currently do not use it. Ridership would likely increase and the parking lots at the university might very well see less cars. There are often too many students who want to use the parking lots on campus and not enough space for all of them. The four-month pass could be solution for the overflowing parking lots on campus.
The four month pass would be a gain for the environmentally conscious as well. A reduction in fares for students resulting in more riders could translate into future and lifetime bus riders. Fewer people driving and more people using transit is more environmentally friendly.
UMSU’s discussions with Winnipeg Transit come on the heels of University of Saskatchewan’s referendum and University of British Columbia’s already implemented U-Pass. Better late than never.
Kerri Woloszyn has a degree in films studies and is the Manitoban’s roving reporter.
