W
wyliepoon
Guest
Link to article
Students can't opt out of transit pass
Mississauga U of T student union signs deal to combine bus fees with yearly tuition costs
NICK PATCH
For Robin Prashad, a fourth-year University of Toronto at Mississauga student working two jobs, time and money are scarce.
Mr. Prashad says his student government's decision to roll the cost of a monthly transit pass into tuition fees could cost him both.
Beginning this fall, students at U of T's Mississauga campus will pay roughly $89 for an eight-month pass with Mississauga Transit after the University of Toronto Students' Union agreed to the deal last week. Schools in Toronto may soon follow suit with a similar plan, Toronto Transit Commission officials say.
Even with a transit pass, Mr. Prashad will drive to school when he returns for his fifth year of commerce next fall. He says students should have the right to opt out of the plan and get a refund.
"So many students have to pay a fee they're never going to benefit from," Mr. Prashad said.
Mr. Prashad already pays $607 for a parking pass. He says it would take him around an hour to take the two buses necessary to get from his house in Mississauga to campus, while his drive is roughly 20 minutes.
But an opt-out clause would have killed any deal with Mississauga Transit, said Adam Peet of the University of Toronto at Mississauga Students' Union.
The issue was decided in a referendum, held from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, and 83 per cent of the 2077 students who voted (22 per cent of the eligible student body) were in favour of the plan, Mr. Peet said.
And while he acknowledged that roughly 35 per cent of the university's student population drive to school, Mr. Peet said those students will also benefit from the plan. He pointed to decreased congestion on campus and environmental benefits, and said he believes all students will use transit more than they do now.
TTC vice-chairman Joe Mihevc said that a similar program for Toronto's college and university students would also yield benefits beyond cheaper fares. Providing students with TTC passes would promote the culture of public transit, encourage students to explore Toronto and lessen the number of cars navigating busy downtown streets, he said. "It's a passport to the city."
That program, however, would be far more expensive.
Mr. Mihevc said the TTC would set its price by determining student ridership revenues over the eight-month period and dividing that figure by the total number of Toronto students. It would likely work out to about $500 a year in extra tuition, roughly a $25-a-month saving for students who currently buy metro passes at a discounted student rate.
The TTC has been in talks with various student unions for years, but due to the potentially steep price of the pass and rotating memberships of councils, negotiations have been slow. Still, Mr. Mihevc hopes to have one or two schools onboard for next fall.
He said the biggest obstacle is the lack of an opt-out clause, which the TTC, like Mississauga Transit, refuses to include. Mr. Mihevc said the TTC needs to know exactly how many people will be part of the program in order to set its price.
He stressed that the perennially cash-strapped TTC is not pushing the plan for financial gain. In fact, he said, the TTC would take a financial hit initially under the program, "but there are other social goals here.
"The long-term benefits are incalculable," he said.
Students can't opt out of transit pass
Mississauga U of T student union signs deal to combine bus fees with yearly tuition costs
NICK PATCH
For Robin Prashad, a fourth-year University of Toronto at Mississauga student working two jobs, time and money are scarce.
Mr. Prashad says his student government's decision to roll the cost of a monthly transit pass into tuition fees could cost him both.
Beginning this fall, students at U of T's Mississauga campus will pay roughly $89 for an eight-month pass with Mississauga Transit after the University of Toronto Students' Union agreed to the deal last week. Schools in Toronto may soon follow suit with a similar plan, Toronto Transit Commission officials say.
Even with a transit pass, Mr. Prashad will drive to school when he returns for his fifth year of commerce next fall. He says students should have the right to opt out of the plan and get a refund.
"So many students have to pay a fee they're never going to benefit from," Mr. Prashad said.
Mr. Prashad already pays $607 for a parking pass. He says it would take him around an hour to take the two buses necessary to get from his house in Mississauga to campus, while his drive is roughly 20 minutes.
But an opt-out clause would have killed any deal with Mississauga Transit, said Adam Peet of the University of Toronto at Mississauga Students' Union.
The issue was decided in a referendum, held from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, and 83 per cent of the 2077 students who voted (22 per cent of the eligible student body) were in favour of the plan, Mr. Peet said.
And while he acknowledged that roughly 35 per cent of the university's student population drive to school, Mr. Peet said those students will also benefit from the plan. He pointed to decreased congestion on campus and environmental benefits, and said he believes all students will use transit more than they do now.
TTC vice-chairman Joe Mihevc said that a similar program for Toronto's college and university students would also yield benefits beyond cheaper fares. Providing students with TTC passes would promote the culture of public transit, encourage students to explore Toronto and lessen the number of cars navigating busy downtown streets, he said. "It's a passport to the city."
That program, however, would be far more expensive.
Mr. Mihevc said the TTC would set its price by determining student ridership revenues over the eight-month period and dividing that figure by the total number of Toronto students. It would likely work out to about $500 a year in extra tuition, roughly a $25-a-month saving for students who currently buy metro passes at a discounted student rate.
The TTC has been in talks with various student unions for years, but due to the potentially steep price of the pass and rotating memberships of councils, negotiations have been slow. Still, Mr. Mihevc hopes to have one or two schools onboard for next fall.
He said the biggest obstacle is the lack of an opt-out clause, which the TTC, like Mississauga Transit, refuses to include. Mr. Mihevc said the TTC needs to know exactly how many people will be part of the program in order to set its price.
He stressed that the perennially cash-strapped TTC is not pushing the plan for financial gain. In fact, he said, the TTC would take a financial hit initially under the program, "but there are other social goals here.
"The long-term benefits are incalculable," he said.