Fredericton looks at free bus passes for Syrian refugees

Fredericton is looking at supplying free bus passes to incoming Syrian refugees and local people who can't afford them.

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Fredericton council approved the motion to offer the free bus passes at a council-in-committee meeting on Monday evening.

Mayor Brad Woodside said if the free passes apply to off-peak hours, the initiative shouldn't cost the city taxpayers very much money.

"We have periods of the time when the buses don't carry many people, there's no reason we can't put some people on there that can't afford a bus pass, there's no reason we can't 'have people sitting in the seats at non-prime time," Woodside said.

"So it really shouldn't have an impact."

It's estimated that publicly sponsored refugees won't arrive in the city until new year.

But Woodside said he hopes to get the initiative going right away for the privately-sponsored refugees who will arrive earlier and those already in the city who can't afford to use public transit.

Last week, Saint John Mayor Mel Norton also committed to supplying free transit passes to Syrian refugees coming to the city.

Canada has agreed to bring in 25,000 refugees from the war-torn country.

New Brunswick expects to receive about 1,500 Syrian refugees.