For many years, both Queens University and St. Lawrence College have offered substantially discounted bus passes to students to allow them to get to and from campus, as well as to get to and from other areas in Kingston and the surrounding community. However, Kingston Transit announced today that, by mutual agreement between them, Queens University and St. Lawrence College, the bus pass program is being terminated effective September 1st, 2020. This was done seemingly without consultation with students about what services continue to be necessary for the upcoming school year.

I recognize that with the coronavirus, service levels for Kingston Transit have been significantly reduced such that some routes need not be running. However, unilaterally terminating the bus passes without offering an immediate replacement for the program is worrisome. As a student of Queens University, should in-person classes resume for the winter term, I will be required to pay substantially more money to get to and from campus than I would otherwise pay with a bus pass. As a dues-paying member of the AMS, we deserve to be able to maintain our services without having them randomly yanked out from under us. We therefore call upon Kingston Transit, the AMS and the SLC SA to immediately reverse the termination of the agreement and work to maintain it as much as possible during this crisis.