Free bus rides for Saskatoon children recommended by council committee
CBC
Elementary school-aged kids won't need a special bus pass or identification to ride city buses for free, under a new policy heading to city council.
Once the plan is approved, Saskatoon Transit will waive bus fares starting Sept. 1 for kids in Kindergarten to Grade 8. An elementary school fare currently costs $2.25.
The new policy will run on the honour system, with kids self-verifying their grade or age when asked by bus drivers. The school-aged kids won't need an adult to ride with them to qualify for a free fare.
City council's standing policy committee on transportation made the recommendations at its Tuesday meeting.
Transit advocates welcome the changes.
"Saskatoon is one of the few cities in Western Canada that doesn't have this," said Robert Clipperton, who sits on the steering committee of Bus Riders for Saskatoon. "In B.C., free fares for children 12 and under is mandated throughout the province."
Clipperton said free fares will get more kids riding the bus, and that could turn them into lifelong transit users.
"It's an investment in future ridership. The higher your ridership level is, the more effective and extensive transit service you can offer," Clipperton said.
Coun. Darren Hill agreed.
"I think we need to create a new generation of bus riders in Saskatoon and this is one small step to doing that," Hill said during the committee meeting.
Currently, kids aged five and under ride for free with an adult. An elementary school pass for kids in kindergarten to Grade 8 costs $50 per month or $550 for a year.
Saskatoon Transit revenue from youth fares is about $200,000 annually. Saskatoon has more than 47,000 residents under the age of 13, according to the most recent census data.
The City of Regina made a similar move in 2022 and reported a 260 per cent increase in ridership of youth under 13. The city expected to lose $81,000 in revenue from child fares, but reported it made all the money back from adults deciding to ride with their kids.
The Saskatoon Transit report that went to committee said the bus drivers' union, ATU Local 615, wanted the city to implement a children's bus pass or require ID for free fares to help verify ages. Otherwise, older youths and adults could exploit the free fare, leading to more disputes with drivers, the union said.
Faulty and aging equipment was to blame for nearly all of the eight hydraulic fuel spills on the TTC in the first five months of 2024, a new report finds, noting a steep increase in spills compared to previous years.
High levels of heavy metals and metalloids in untreated groundwater have been detected in and around Whitehorse, new research suggests.
Elections Nova Scotia will delay the release of provincial election results tonight due to the late opening of a polling station in the riding of Eastern Shore.
The longtime mayor of Kensington is stepping down after a contentious debate over new pickleball courts for the central P.E.I. town.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's agreed to meet with his provincial and territorial counterparts after Donald Trump threatened to impose hefty tariffs on Canadian goods.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday that U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's threat to slap a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods is "like a family member stabbing you right in the heart."
The Salvation Army can't fundraise in the Avalon Mall after this year. It all comes down to religion
This is the last Christmas season the Salvation Army's annual kettle campaign will be allowed in the Avalon Mall in St. John's, ending a decades-long tradition.
The province and district social services administration boards say plans are in place to ensure people on social assistance do not miss out on benefits as a result of the strike by Canada Post employees.
Near the exit to Truro, N.S., a cluster of colorful tents and a lone RV can be seen alongside Highway 102, some tucked under the overpass for shelter from the elements.
Police and Public Trust, a project of the CBC News Atlantic investigative unit, scrutinizes the largely off-limits police complaint and discipline systems across the region. Journalists are using access to information laws and, in some cases, court challenges to obtain discipline records and data.
Toronto police have arrested a GTA woman who they allege scammed dozens of Taylor Swift fans out of more than $70,000 by promising them tickets that never materialized.