Year-round bus pass needed

There has been ongoing debate in the past few years as to whether the London Transit bus pass provided to all undergraduate students at the University of Western Ontario should be expanded to a full year.

It is imperative the current bus pass is made valid for twelve months of the year, instead of the present eight months from September to April.

Contrary to what some Western students believe, there are a large number of Western students who are in London during May, June, July and August.

In addition to the many students who are actually from London and live in London all year round, other students are in London over the summer because they are taking summer courses, have found a job in London, or have just decided to make London their home all year.

At present, it costs $283 to have an LTC bus pass for the months May-August if you are a post-secondary student - $70 per month plus a $3 photo charge. This is more than the cost of the eight-month pass Western students have during the year.

Of course, there are many students who would be opposed to a year-round bus pass, as they go back to their hometown for the summer.

Therefore, there should be a compromise. Much as the University Student Council Health Plan has an opt-out feature for students who have other health plans, there should be an option for students to get either an eight-month bus pass or a full-year bus pass, for an extra fee not exceeding $80.

There should also be an opt-out option for students who do not have access to LTC. In this case, this opt-out should be an option only to those students who live in an area over a kilometre away from a full-service LTC route. Students who live in Komoka or Lucan - and yes, there are some - should not have to pay for a bus pass they will almost never use.

There would be an extra administrative cost to having multiple bus pass structures, but it could be amortized across all students to the point it would be a minimal additional charge absorbed into the passes.