After years of student lobbying and council debates, Ottawa’s transit committee has finally come up with a reasonable offer of $145 per semester for a universal bus pass for students in Ottawa.
This is a proposal worth considering; with a reasonable offer on the table, now is the time to hold a referendum and let students decide whether they would support the U-Pass.
Last year students were told a U-Pass could be achieved at a price of $198. That was unacceptably high. This new offer is a considerable improvement and would put little strain on students’ wallets.
Obviously those who bike, drive or live in residence might not be interested in adding $145 each semester to their student fees. But when you break it down, $145 only equates to about $36 a month, which is less than $10 a week.
Those in residence likely already spend that amount each week travelling off-campus for groceries and other errands. And more students might decide to bus instead of drive if a pass is included in their student fees, so this deal could provide incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Ottawa at the same time.
A U-Pass might also encourage first-year students to leave the familiarity of campus more often to explore the city.
There are a lot of plausible reasons to consider a U-Pass at this price and this is probably as good as it’s going to get. Considering all the time it’s taken for the transit committee to propose this offer, it’s unlikely that a better deal will come along.
Let’s bring this sucker home to students. It’s an offer they just might not want to refuse.