City council has approved millions of dollars of new spending so university students in Winnipeg can get a break on their bus fares.
Students at the University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg will pay a reduced fee of $260 for a universal bus pass per school year.
City taxpayers will fork over $1.3 million a year to subsidize the program and pay for additional bus drivers and extended hours. The U-pass system will also require more buses for a one-time cost of $5.1 million.
The province is also chipping in more than $800,000 a year.
It’s anticipated bus ridership will rise by 20 per cent among students, cutting down on traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.
The program would start in 2016.
