Voting for the Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass) referendum will open up on March 12 and 13, where students will have the chance to decide whether SAMU will continue the program. 

The U-Pass acts as a group-discount for the over 110,000 college and university students at NAIT, Concordia University of Edmonton, U of A, Norquest, and MacEwan. It provides pass holders access to ETS along with transit services in St. Albert, Strathcona County, Fort Saskatchewan, Spruce Grove, Leduc, and Beaumont.

Each of these schools will be holding a vote this year. If the vote goes through, SAMU will sign the contract with ETS and will have the U-Pass for the next three years.

A web link to a voting page will be sent out to students by email during the same span of time as SAMU’s election for the executive committee.

Along with the vote, students can decide to run a YES or NO vote campaign to make a case for or against the U-Pass. SAMU provides funds for students’ campaign materials, so long as they are approved and reported in the required format and deadlines. 

“This is an opportunity for them to have their voice heard and for them to choose to keep the U-pass or not.” says SAMU vice-president (governance and finance) Joseph A. La Torre. “And we just want to make sure that we give them as much information as possible for the U-Pass.”

The deadline to nominate a U-Pass campaign was Feb. 24.

The vote comes after SAMU negotiations set up the terms for a new contract. Previously, per term, the pass has sat at $180 for the past four years thanks to a price freeze but the new contract will see the per semester fee increase a total of five dollars over three years.

“I think we did our best to get the best possible deal for students there,” says La Torre. 

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Photo by Krishal Phuyal