The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA), university administration and OC Transpo met Jan. 11 to discuss the details of the new U-Pass agreement, according to CUSA vice-president (student issues) Chantle Beeso.
A referendum on a three-year U-Pass program will be conducted at Carleton in conjunction with the upcoming CUSA elections. City councillors approved a $35 rate hike on on Nov. 30 to raise the price of the U-Pass to $180 per semester.
In the new agreement, CUSA is proposing improvements to service levels for Carleton students and exemptions for rural students without access to OC Transpo from the U-Pass program, Beeso said.
OC Transpo already guaranteed that nine routes that affect Carleton students, including the 4 and the 111, will see increased service from this point forward, Beeso said. CUSA is also pushing for guaranteed service levels throughout the multi-year agreement.
With respect to rural exemptions, Beeso said: “If you don’t have access, it’s really unfair for someone to ask that you pay into something that you literally cannot use.”
Between 400 and 600 Carleton students would be eligible for the proposed rural exemption, Beeso said, adding that it’s only “a fraction” of students and “would not cost OC Transpo much money.”
The hope is that these concessions will foster more support for the U-Pass program, Beeso said.
“I’m hoping that we can work on a program that works for the majority of students and can kind of benefit everyone,” Beeso said.
In light of the price increase and recent service cuts, Beeso said, “students need to feel like they’re getting something.” Beyond the specifics, Beeso said consultation with Carleton students is what matters.
“Even if they have ideas for route optimization, [we want to make] sure that our students are not as heavily affected as they have been . . . the lack of consultation has really been [the reason for] the rifts [between students and the city],” she said.
The agreement will be worked out in about three weeks, until which OC Transpo, CUSA and the administration will have weekly meetings, according to Beeso.
Beeso said she’s hopeful that Carleton and OC Transpo will be able to reach an agreement that works for students, noting that OC Transpo representative Vincent Patterson “seems receptive.”
For students, the alternative to a U-Pass program is unclear.
“If there is a no vote . . . OC Transpo and the city . . . may be willing to come back to the table,” Beeso said.
If this doesn’t happen, Beeso said students may be forced to pay regular fares, as the city cancelled the semester pass when the U-Pass program was implemented.
Jocelyne Turner, OC Transpo’s media representative, said OC Transpo cannot speak about ongoing discussions.
