Less than 1,200 students came out to vote, but the U-Pass will be back next year after a successful referendum March 21-22.
Only 846 undergraduate students participated in the voting, according to the unofficial referendum results on the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) website. Of those, 635 voted for the U-Pass while 200 students voted against it. Eleven ballots were spoiled or rejected.
In the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) referendum, 177 students voted in favour of the U-Pass and 105 against, with seven ballots spoiled, according to the GSA’s website.
CUSA vice-president (student issues) Chantle Beeso said the new multi-year contract with OC Transpo will hopefully be signed soon.
“The upcoming VPSI will continue all the relations with the U-Pass,” Beeso said.
“I’ll be setting everything up for her to make sure that the program remains a success.”
Although the number of students who turned out to support the program might have been low, it doesn’t affect the legitimacy of the vote, Beeso and GSA vice-president (operations) Kelly Black agreed.
“We’re disappointed by the low voter turnout, but . . . if people choose not to vote, there’s nothing we can do about that,” Black said, adding he was “happy students chose the most affordable option” for public transit.
Beeso said she wasn’t surprised that students voted for the U-Pass.
“I knew it could have gone either way, though, so I was prepared for either decision,” Beeso said.
One of the issues students have expressed concern about was the lack of options for opting out of the U-Pass. However, OC Transpo made an announcement earlier this month to have an opt-out option for rural students.
Carleton and University of Ottawa students who live in the rural communities outside of Ottawa will now have the choice to opt out of the U-Pass, which will cost $182 per semester, compared to the $145 per semester it cost this year.
Mayor Jim Watson said he was “very pleased” with the results.
“There’s no minimum requirement in any election, you’d always like to have a good voter turnout but it doesn’t make the result any less legitimate,” Watson said.
“A clear majority voted for the U-Pass, both the undergraduate and graduate students [at Carleton], as well as the students at [the University of Ottawa].”
A media spokesperson for OC Transpo said they wouldn’t comment on the “specifics” of U-Pass related voting.
“We implement the U-Pass and we set the rates for it, but it’s from the voting that’s completely run by [CUSA] and the university, so we wouldn’t be commenting on that,” the representative said.
Watson said he’s “grateful” students have decided to support the U-Pass.
“I think it’s a good decision on their part and I look forward to seeing more students on the bus this fall.”
