Province axes mandatory bus passes for Conestoga College students

Students at Conestoga College will no longer be getting a mandatory bus pass, thanks to a decision by the provincial government.

In September, students voted in favour of adding the cost of a universal bus pass to their tuition, instead of purchasing a pass separately each semester.

But the province now says the bus passes cannot be included as a mandatory fee under its student choice initiative.

"They did go to referendum and students supported the U-pass, but because we did not have a formal written agreement in placeprior to the date identified by the ministry, we can't go forward," said Peter Zinck, the director of transit services with the Region of Waterloo.

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities announced its new rules for student fees on January 17, 2019. Any agreement not signed and executed prior to that date will not qualify.

That means Conestoga students will have to continue buying a semester pass, which currently costs $292.

Zinck says the U-pass likely would've resulted in a discount of more than 50 per cent.

"We hadn't finalized yet on the price completely with the student association at the time, but it would be a significant decrease in cost versus the college term pass which we sell right now," he explained.

Regional staff will be presenting a report on the impact of the province's decisionat the planning and works committee meeting at the end of May.

'We were all in'

The student association has been trying for years to make the universal bus pass a reality, with two previous attempts proving unsuccessful.

"This time, students approved it, GRT was ready, everyone was ready. We were all in, ready to do it and then the provincial government denied it, so it was a big shock for us," Conestoga Students Inc. (CSI) president Scot Wylessaid.

Wyles says the government's decision will have a big impact on students who rely on public transportation.

"Our international numbers keep increasing and most of these students don't have transportation, like their own car, so they're using the buses to get around," he said.

Wyles said CSI is working in partnership with other student advocacy groups to encourage the province to reconsider.

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities said in a statement to CBCNews that transit passes can only be offered on an "opt-out basis" if a school or student association does not already have a mandatory fee for transit passes in place.

"These fees can reach up to an additional $2,000 on top of tuition," the statement said."Our objective is to save students money while giving them the option to fund the services they value and use. This change will ensure transparency, choice and ease of decision-making for students."

The ministry did not say if it would work with student associations that still want to go forward with a universal bus pass.