Students at the U of R to vote on universal bus passes

A campaign is on at the University of Regina about whether or not students want to pay for a mandatory bus pass for all students.

A referendum will be held March 16 to 19 to hear both sides of the issue.

If the passes are voted in, each student would have to pay an extra $70 to $90 per semester on top of their tuition for the bus passes. Each student would get full access to Regina Public Transit during the fall and winter semesters. 

"This pass will benefit all students. The U-Pass is one quarter of the rate that students usually pay. But they also argue that non-bus riders will benefit by taking more cars off campus," Devon Peters, president of the U of R Student Union, said.

Peters said parking is also an issue for students that commute to the university because there isn't enough parking available for students and it's too expensive. 

"The new residence being built on the north side of campus has taken out over 600 (parking) spots from circulation. They're going to replace some of those spots — about 150 — with underground parking. But those are likely at price ranges that aren't really accessible to students."

In the end it's up to the City of Regina to decide whether the bus passes will receive the go-ahead. Students will have the chance to voice their opinions on the U-pass debate at a town hall meeting held at the U of R on March 10.