Students living in the GTA calling for greater transit access

Oct 29, 2013 | News

"Fair hikes, route changes and cuts, and spending priorities for transit services impact the lives of students in the GTA," Alastair Woods told Humber News. SOURCE: Flickr via Tallkev

“Fare hikes, route changes and cuts for transit services impact the students in the GTA,” Alastair Woods told Humber News. SOURCE: Flickr via Tallkev

By Raquelle Collins

The Canadian Federation of Students launched a survey on Tuesday to gather feedback about the accessibility of public transit.

The survey asks students what their priorities are and whether public transit has caused them to be late for class, drop a course, miss a shift at work or not attend an event.

Alastair Woods, chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario told Humber News that the biggest problem with students and transit is cost.

“Students pay the highest tuition fees in the country already and they struggle to make ends meet. Students are also huge users of public transit because they can’t afford to drive,” Woods said.

Public transit has been a huge topic for politicians but very little action has been done for students needs. Woods said he hopes for change in the next year.

“Student perspective has been pushed out of discussions mainly because politicians don’t think students are an integral part of the community, but students are going to be keenly interested in brining up transit in the upcoming elections,” he said.

The Canadian Federation of Students is a national union of over one-and-a-half million students from across Canada.

Danielle Ricks, first year business student at Humber says she commutes to school from Vaughan and is late for class quite often.

“It takes me three buses to get to Humber, it takes a really long time,” Ricks told Humber News.

“When I have an 8 a.m. class, it sucks when I have to leave over two hours prior to my class. I wish there was just one bus to take me to and from school,” she said.

In 2010, the Canadian Federation of Students fought for a post-secondary TTC Metropass and won through surveys and petitioning. They are hopeful for a similar outcome this time.

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Statistics Canada collected data from 2011.