Students renew bus pass

Students at the University of Prince Edward Island have voted heavily in favour of continuing to pay a mandatory fee in exchange for a bus pass with Charlottetown Transit.

Unofficial results posted late Wednesday night on the student union web site show the binding referendum passed with a vote of 721 to 442. It was a better turn out than at a similar vote two years ago when just 800 students voted.

Every student will pay a fee of $25 per term for the bus pass. Many argued against it, saying they had no use for it.

The contract with UPEI is worth about $180,000 a year for the transit company.

"If the U-PASS had not been successful yesterday, I would have had to restrategize all of my operations within the capital region, look at every route, every piece of equipment," said Charlottetown Transit manager Mike Cassidy.

"There would have been, I am sure, a downsizing of the whole operation."

Cassidy said the successful vote yesterday will allow him to look at ways to improve the frequency of trips to and from the university.