Ottawa students win discount U-Pass pilot programme

OTTAWA , Jan. 28 /CNW/ - Students successfully convinced Ottawa City Council today to introduce a pilot universal transit pass (U-Pass) for full-time students at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. In two weeks, students will vote on whether or not to accept the City's proposal, at a price of $145 per semester.

"After ten years of lobbying, it is great that the City of Ottawa finally supported students and voted in favour of offering an affordable U-Pass," said Shelley Melanson , Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, "Now it is up to students to decide whether or not they wish to participate in the programme."

Representatives from students' unions at the University of Ottawa , Carleton University and from the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario made deputations and sent delegations to the City's budget consultations. Students challenged the financial projections presented by OCTranspo and convinced councillors that a pilot project was in the best interest of the City.

"Students have sent more than 700 emails to councillors in the past few days urging them to support the U-Pass proposal," said Roxanne Dubois , Vice-President, Finance of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa . She added, "It is a clear testament of what students can do when they work together and lobby for students' collective interests."

Earlier this year, Ottawa students won the removal of a proposed age cap of 27 for anyone accessing student bus passes. In November, the Federation coordinated the Fair Student Fares campaign in Toronto , which won the first-ever post-secondary student discount for transit fares in that city.

The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario unites more than 300,000 college and university students studying at public post-secondary institutions across the province, including all university students in Ottawa and students at La Cité collégiale.

For further information: Shelley Melanson, CFS-Ontario Chairperson, [phone] or [phone] (cell); Erik Halliwell, President of the Carleton University Students' Association, [phone] (cell); Roxanne Dubois, Vice-President, Finance, Student Federation of the University of Ottawa, [phone] (cell)