Bus pass impasse

The U-Pass gives full-time students access to unlimited public transit during the academic year.

University and student representatives are working hard to resolve a recent mistake that has put the U-Pass program in jeopardy.

Halifax Regional Municipality councillors have approved Metro’s Transit’s request for a 15 per cent increase in the price of the U-Pass without first consulting the universities. Dalhousie University, Saint Mary’s University, the University of King’s College, Mount Saint Vincent University and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design will all be affected.

Dalhousie University typically finalizes student fees in April, when students are on campus for consultation. The increase in the cost of the U-Pass, which was approved by the city council in May, would mean the universities would have to absorb the difference, which they have said they are unable to do. 

Amendment proposed

Councillor Sue Uteck of District 13, which encompasses Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s, first learned of the error in July, and has since proposed a city budget amendment of $500,000 to make up the shortfall.

The amendment goes to vote at the HRM's council meeting on Tuesday, August, 17.

Chris Saulnier, Dalhousie Student Union president, is working with Councillor Uteck to lobby the city on this issue. He’s optimistic the amendment will pass. “So far, we haven’t run up against much opposition from the city. They understand that this is very important to students.”

The U-Pass program currently costs $118 per student, and is included in annual incidental fees. All graduate and undergraduate students registered as full-time receive a U-Pass. The savings to students amount to about $50 a month, or $394 for the entire eight-month term of use, if compared to buying a monthly pass at the student rate of $64.

'Very happy'

“There is a very small percentage (of students) who would like to see the U-Pass go away,” says Mr. Saulnier, noting that many students use the U-Pass for travel within the metro region, even if they don’t use it to commute to school. “I would say the vast majority are very happy with the program.” He also points to a recent referendum at Saint Mary’s where 80 per cent of voters were in favour of the program.

Heather Sutherland, Assistant Vice President of Ancillary Services at Dalhousie, says the challenge lies in the fact that “normal processes” were not followed when it came to notifying universities of the fee increase. She cannot say yet whether or not the U-Pass program will be cancelled if the budget amendment fails to pass, but that “the university will be coming back to review different scenarios.”