The Toronto Transit Commission approved a new student discount on Nov. 17, applicable to all post-secondary students.
Effective September 2010, students from post-secondary institutions across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area will qualify for a discounted student Metropass, which will save students $22 to $32 a month.
“This discount applies to all students, regardless of age or course load, as long as they are in a degree or diploma granting program,” said Hamid Osman, an Ontario representative of the Canadian Federation (CFS) of students.
“It also applies to students across the GTA area, as some students may need to commute from other campuses, such as U of T Mississauga,” Osman said.
Osman said previously Toronto was the only large city in Canada that did not offer a discounted rate for post-secondary students. It also had one of the highest rates of transit ridership among students.
The CFS launched a Fair Student Fares campaign on Nov. 6 that appealed for protection of students against fare increases.
“We collected over 6,000 [signatures] in the first week,” Osman said.
The campaigners also sent more than 2,000 e-mails to commissioners at the TTC and made over nine statements at the commission meeting.
On Nov. 17, commissioners at the TTC approved a fare increase of 25 cents in adult tokens that will now cost $2.50 as of January 2010. Cash fares also rose to $3. Student and senior fares will increase by 15 cents, and children’s fares by 5 cents.
Although student fares are increasing, the TTC voted to extend student Metropasses to college and university students that will give them the same discount as high school students.
“This is important because students don’t have a lot of money. Students in Ontario pay the highest tuition fees in the country. We’ve also seen record high unemployment rates among students this year,” Osman said.
Previously discounted student fares only applied to high school students.
“The new student Metropass will be $99 for students, or $89 if they commit to a 12 month plan,” said Brad Ross, director of corporate communications at the TTC.
“The TTC recognizes that college and university students have limited incomes,” Ross said. “It’s also important that the TTC continues to foster that rider relationship in hopes that upon graduation, they will continue to value and use public transit.”
The new prices are expected to generate $45.5 million towards the TTC’s projected shortfall of $100 million in 2010. Dealing with the shortfall has now become a priority for the TTC.