The School Bus Pass – The Reason Why There Are A lot Of Arguments Because Of Them

The previous week I wrote about how much money it was possible to save if you take public transportation. After that, I have came to the realization that there are a a number of completely different selections for student bus passes across the country. The example I used of the pass in Winnipeg turned out to be around average, so that’s good as far as the comparison proceeded to go; however, after checking out the various options around Canada I thought it could be helpful to note the differences.

Probably the most debatable part of student bus passes in Canada is the power of a majority of students on some campuses to make the passes mandatory. Universities just like the University of Ottawa, the University of Victoria, Saint Mary’s University, and the University of Western Ontario have organised student referendums where students elected to incorporate bus passes as part of their all around tuition and student user fees. At Ottawa this resulted in a law suit by nine students against the University felt discriminated against.

Obviously this predicament has some advantages and drawbacks. The really low cost of public transportation for those that use it is an unquestionable incentive. For those campuses the cost was decreased to approximately a hundred dollars flat for the year! This is in all likelihood because of the inflated volume of sales. The fact that students are required to get passes would also assist the overall usage rates. This has terrific spin-off environmental effects, as well as the mentioned financial ones.

Myself personally, the drawbacks are much more prevalent to me. During my time at the University of Manitoba there was a referendum on whether to come up with a required package deal for public transportation to be supported by all students. I simply cannot get past the fact that it should not be considered fair for a minor majority of students to trample the rights of a massive minority and take money out of their pockets to subsidize their chosen mode of transportation. If I remember correctly, there was presently a percentage of the money used from parking service fees to help counteract student bus pass costs. This is still a hard sell for me despite the environmental benefits. Of course as a car owner I am definitely bias.

My personal distaste for particular aspects of public transportation is very likely a result of the Winnipeg pubic transit system. It doesn’t matter how much money I was saving I couldn’t justify the steady waste of time. The schedules were hardly ever correct, the constant disrespect of travellers, and the lousy weather aspect of life in Winnipeg, was enough to motivate me to get my own vehicle.

In the instance that I had went to school in British Columbia I would possibly have a very different perspective of student bus passes. After a opinion from a local regarding her public transportation experience, I reviewed the Vancouver area options. I was amazed by the good bargain they got and the fact it was not subsidized by other students (this means it doesn’t penalize the students that walk, bike, or drive to school). The U-Pass (universal pass) is available to post-secondary students for the low price of $30 monthly. The really great part of the deal is that this doesn’t only just cover the bus, but the Seabus and SkyTrain services as well! With such a thorough variety of options I would suppose there is a great deal of success with the program presently there.

In comparison, Winnipeg charges over $70 a month for its poor patchwork of buses. Other monthly public transportation rates for students consist of $89 for a metro pass in Toronto, $41 in Montreal for a merged metro and bus pass, $71 for a student bus pass in Saskatoon, and Calgary didn’t actually have a student rate from the information I have been able to see on their site. The standard adult rate there for a monthly bus pass is $90.

One more thing for people (not just students) who use bus passes should be advised of is the non-refundable tax credit available. For the majority of people you can get a pretty good idea of how much money you should get back on your taxes by multiplying the yearly fee of your bus passes by .15 (15%). This is a great little reward incentive for those of you who are already financially and environmentally mindful enough to use public transportation.

bus pass, bus pass tax credit, cost of student bus pass, student bus pass, student bus pass cost, student bus pass in Canada, student bus pass Montreal, student bus pass options, Student bus pass Toronto, student bus pass Vancouver, student public transportation

Getting a Student Bus Pass is a great strategy for saving money when attending school. Student public transportation is significant to any university aiming to give you a subsidised service to their students.