Beginning June 29th, Regina Transit will resume charging fares for its bus services. As mentioned previously, the U-Pass program cannot operate during the Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters this year due to the delivery method of courses at the University of Regina and how that relates to U-Pass fee assessment. Even with fewer students needing to travel to campus, we know that many of our members are struggling or will struggle without affordable access to transit. The U-Pass helped students get to not only campus but also to important appointments and essential services.
This means that students who regularly use the bus will now have to buy Post-Secondary passes at a rate of $78/month, 10 rides for $29, 20 rides for $55, or pay $3.25 per one way trip. We at URSU understand that this means more hardship added to the adversity students are already facing. There are the emotional hardships of pursuing an education without the use of classrooms and reduced access to support services. There are also the financial hardships of paying tuition while trying to earn a living in a severely limited job market. We want our members to know that we continue working to alleviate all of these hardships in any way we can.
Therefore, beginning June 29th, URSU will be subsidizing $28 per Post-Secondary Transit Pass for every student who loads a pass at our Member Services desk. This means that, out of the $78 that must be paid to Regina Transit per pass, you will pay $50 and URSU will pay $28. When visiting our Member Services desk, you will need to have your Student ID Card. If you are a nursing student, you will need to have your clinical card as well. Access to our office is available through the main Riddell Centre entrance only. Students can visit the desk during our regular office hours (Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Please expect to follow social distancing procedures upon arrival to the Riddell Centre and we would greatly appreciate it if you would wear a mask when visiting us.
We recognize that for many students, this new subsidy may not be enough and we continue to investigate all of our options for our members and hope to have more to announce in the near future.
