Good news arrived for Algonquin students who use OC Transpo when Ottawa city council voted to approve the U-Pass for full time students at Algonquin College on Jan. 28.
Students voted for the pass in a referendum held in November where 40 per cent of the student population turned out and 83 per cent of those were in favour of the U-pass.
The pass would mean a mandatory charge of approximately $200 per semester for the unlimited use of OC Transpo, STO and ParaTranspo services during that time period. Considering a monthly bus pass currently costs students $100, this change could result in substantial savings for Algonquin students.
However, if the student lives outside the service range of OC Transpo they are exempt and don’t have to pay for the pass. The pass will only be available to full time students.
The Students Association has a list of frequently asked questions on their website for any students with further questions concerning the U-pass.
“We are very excited that the city has approved the U-pass and that Algonquin College will finally have a Upass,” said SA President Christina Miller in an email. “Everyone has done an incredible job at pulling their part and we are happy with the outcome of our negotiations and hope students are as well.”