Free transit for youth living in Victoria to be rolled out after start of school year

Free transit for youth living in Victoria to be rolled out after start of school year
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Free bus passes for Victoria youth is expected to be ready in November 2019.

As Victoria parents and students are out doing back-to-school shopping, they will also have to budget for bus passes. It’s a cost many parents believed the city would cover at the start of the school year.

In June, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission approved a City of Victoria motion to provide free transit for all youth who live at an address in the city no later than Nov. 30, 2019.

Some parents expected the program would be ready by Sept. 3 but Mayor Lisa Helps confirmed Friday that free transit for youth would not happen until November. The city said on its website it is still designing the program with BC Transit. 

More than 6,000 bus passes will be bought with an estimated $850,000 in funds, offset by Sunday parking fees, which were implemented in Victoria in May. A youth monthly pass is currently $45.

Free transit will not be available for youth outside of Victoria. The Victoria Regional Transit Commission said last week its priority is making bus service more accessible and often in underserved, rural areas of the Capital Regional District.

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