An Ottawa city councillor said he wants U-Pass holders to pay extra for express routes because students are overcrowding the buses.
At a Dec. 8 transport commission meeting, Stephen Blais, who represents Ottawa's Cumberland Ward, asked OC Transpo general Alain Mercier to look into dealing with the overcrowding on express bus routes caused by students.
There are 30 express and rural express bus routes, including the buses that go downtown from Orleans, Kanata, Barrhaven and Stittsville, according to OC Transpo's website.
Blais said residents have complained that it’s unfair students don’t have to pay extra for express buses while normal pass holders do.
Regular pass holders must pay an extra dollar or bus ticket for express routes, according to OC Transpo’s website.
It's a matter of "equity," Blais said.
OC Transpo will look into Blais's concerns and get back to the commission with "a response of different options," Mercier said.
"I don't like the idea of saying that students are having a negative impact and crowding out regular and premium customers," said Chantle Beeso, Carleton University Students’ Association vice-president (student issues).
"We are a stable revenue source for OC Transpo," Beeso said. "Some councillors fail to recognize that."
Blais’ comments come just days after Ottawa city council passed its 2012 budget, which includes increasing the cost of the U-Pass from $145 to $180 per semester.
The U-Pass was originally negotiated to include express service, Beeso said.
Since all students must pay for the U-Pass, whether they use it or not, it can't be treated like a normal bus pass, she added.
"I don't think it's a good proposal," Beeso said. "I don't think it treats students as we should be treated."
