The Martlet

Live music blared over the sound of tires and engines by the bus loop on Sept. 30 as the Boston Molasses Disaster helped celebrate the 10th anniversary of UVic’s Universal Bus Pass, the U-Pass.

The celebration, put on by the UVic Students’ Society (UVSS), also included free cake and speeches from several speakers.

The speakers, who included Victoria-Hillside MLA Rob Fleming, UVic’s Sustainability Co-ordinator Sarah Webb and UVSS Chairperson Veronica Harrison, extolled the merits of the U-Pass and the vision of the three major players (B.C. Transit, Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) and the UVSS) in implementing the U-Pass before any other university in Western Canada had such a program.

B.C. Transit’s Chief Executive Officer Manuel Achadinha spoke to the crowd about how the U-Pass was conceived in 1998, when he was in charge of BC Transit’s marketing. He recalled that it was a student movement that brought it about — when the idea of having a pass was brought to referendum, voter turnout was over 80 per cent and over 65 per cent voted in favor.

Chris Foord, co-chair of the Capital Region District’s (CRD) Traffic Safety Commission, praised the effects of the U-Pass on traffic flow in the capital, saying that it significantly reduced the number of cars on the road.

Fleming, who was the chair of the UVSS when the U-Pass was first introduced, also praised the reduction of car trips to the university, saying that it was the largest green initiative the university has taken.

Gayle Gorill, UVic’s Vice President of Finance, added that the reduced number of car trips meant that the university could construct buildings on parking lots and still have enough parking on campus.

“Affordable transit” was frequently mentioned during the speeches. At $69.25 per term, the U-Pass is cheaper than any other bus pass out there — a one month pass would otherwise cost $73.25.

Achadinha said that part of the idea of providing a U-Pass was getting students used to using public transit so that after graduation they would continue to use transit. He said that students continuing to use transit after they graduate keeps cars of the road and greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.

Harrison was also concerned with fair and affordable transit. She noted that there are colleges in Vancouver, such as Vancouver Community College, who are not part of the UBC and SFU U-Pass program, and their students pay significantly more for bus services.