Whereas post-secondary students currently pay full adult BC Ferries fares, despite facing significant cost-of-living pressures and limited incomes, and this creates affordability barriers to travel to co-op employment, internships, conferences, networking opportunities, and travelling home to visit family, particularly for students who must regularly travel between Vancouver Island and the mainland; And whereas indigenous students and students from rural communities are more likely to rely on ferry services, post-secondary students paying a full adult fare reinforces barriers to being able to travel home with ease, increasing inequities in mobility: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advocate to the Honourable Minister Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit, for a 10day flat rate ferry fare pilot program, during non-peak hours, for post-secondary students.
