Although it may not be ideal, students should vote to keep the U-Pass program.
In light of proposed changes to the program, the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) must ask students by the end of this month if they want to continue the U-Pass.
The University of Ottawa’s student federation voted in favour of the program in February, but the continuation of the program at both schools now rests in the hands of Carleton students.
The biggest changes to the program are a $35 per semester price increase to $180 and an opt-out option for rural students.
OC Transpo’s semester pass, which allows students to purchase a pass for a four-month period, will also be scrapped next year. The only alternative to the U-Pass will be a $75 monthly pass, which works out to $300 per semester.
For these reasons, the U-Pass is still the cheapest option for students who bus or use the O-Train to get to and from school.
Given that OC Transpo’s changes to bus routes and schedules have garnered complaints from its users (not just students), it’s unfair that students should have to pay $35 more to take the bus per semester. But at the end of the day, the U-Pass is still cheaper than purchasing monthly passes.
The opt-out option for rural students is definitely a positive move on OC Transpo’s part, since these students live outside the reach of the transit system. Hopefully in the future, an opt-in option for part-time students and an opt-out option for students who drive to school can be implemented.
In the meantime, CUSA’s upcoming referendum will ask students for their input on a variety of issues, and when the time comes, they should vote ‘Yes’ to keep the U-Pass.
