The Bus-It program, a contract between the AMS and Kingston Transit, provides a universal bus pass for all undergraduate and graduate students through a one-time mandatory student fee. The program will be up for referendum in the upcoming AMS and SGPS winter elections.

The proposed bus pass will be valid for a full year, from September to August of next year.

After reviewing the results from last semester’s transit survey, Tiana Wong, AMS Vice-President (Operations), said students were in favour of reinstating the Bus-It contract.

“In our negotiations with Kingston Transit, the cost of the one-time mandatory fee for the next three years would be $122 [per year],” Wong said in an interview with The Journal on Jan. 26.

The contract was terminated early in the pandemic as the AMS was uncertain whether students would be returning to Kingston. The bus pass was offered to individual students at a reduced price of $119 per semester.

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Of the 585 respondents to the survey, 91 per cent said they were in favour of re-establishing the contract.

According to Wong, the AMS has negotiated “special routes” for students “that would otherwise not be in effect”—including a late-night bus, the West Campus shuttle, and a route that runs north of Princess St.

“[These routes] I believe are also important in helping keep our students safe while commuting within our community—especially at night,” Wong said.

Wong added that Kingston Transit has begun digitizing the bus pass.

“Instead of having to flash your student card, you’re able to upload or download an app and have it on your phone or add it to your e-wallet.”

 The SGPS and AMS winter referendum will take place from Feb. 1 to 2.