UVic and Camosun students deliver thousands of postcards to VRTC and BC Transit asking for expanded late-night bus service
Victoria – Today UVic and Camosun students delivered 2,200 postcards to the Victoria Regional Transit Commission (VRTC) calling on the Commission and BC Transit to expand late-night bus service.
“Since the Transit Commission launched a limited late-night bus service six years ago, this program has seen enormous success and has experienced a large spike in ridership,” said UVSS Director of External Relations Kenya Rogers. “Although public transit users are very positive about this service, it doesn’t go far enough and the time has come to expand the service to meet demand. That’s why students are asking for one more day and one more hour.”
Late-night bus service is an affordable mode of transportation that increases safety, especially for women, and it decreases instances of drunk driving. Programs like this are good not only for those who want to enjoy an evening downtown, but are also good for those who work downtown and need to get home after a long night at work. Students are asking for asking for late-night transit to start on Thursdays and have the last buses leave at 2:30am.
“With the consistent government funding cuts to post-secondary education, almost all students will have to find part-time employment in order to pay tuition and basic living costs at some point during their program. But many of the industries student find part-time work in have shifts that end after the last available bus service, like serving and bartending,” said CCSS External Executive Andrea Eggenberger. “When students have to put two or more hours of paid work towards a taxi, they require several more shifts a week just to make ends meet. At this point, students have little or no time to study, and education has simply become unaffordable.”
Students are major stakeholders in Greater Victoria’s public transit system. The UVic and Camosun student societies represent over 36,000 student members – the largest ridership demographic and stakeholder in the Capital Region. Through the U-PASS (Universal Bus Pass), UVic and Camosun students contribute $5.4 million to public transit annually, which brings millions of stable, dedicated dollars every year to BC Transit’s budget.
MORE INFO:
Check out our videos of students reading out postcards at the UVic Transit Exchange!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA_HbSaV1Os
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tZ2qaYHag
https://www.facebook.com/maketransitwork/?ref=hl
The University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) and the Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) represent 36,000 undergraduate students in Victoria, BC. Together, along with Unifor 333 (Greater Victoria Bus Drivers Union), they are founding members of The Make Transit Work Coalition.
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