#KeepUsMoving
Our campaign is dedicated to creating fairness in transportation for kids that use Translink.
1. The Money Issue
We Monkeys are wondering something. If the government makes education mandatory up to 16 years old, and the transit is not free... and the government makes money on gas... that means the government is actually forcing us to pay transportation for something that is mandatory to happen.
Why not make transit free for kids to use?
That doesn't mean we are ok charging kids above 16 for transit. After all we want Canada to be a well-educated place without burdening families with transit or gas. We want all the kids to ride for free!
AND we NEED free transit for kids under 18 for MANY reasons!!
Now we get it's expensive to make things free, cause somebody has to pay for it. You may think that kids can't possibly make that much of a difference on Translink's budget. You would be very WRONG!
In fact, Translink admits that they are making 30 million every year from kids.
That's a lot of money, yes, but it's actually not that much if you think of the benefits. By making transit free, we are helping kids get to school, so we are creating a more educated society without parents having to buy bus passes for their kids.
Think of a family that has three kids, like some of our friends. Each kid has to have a monthly pass that costs 60 bucks. That comes to a total of over $2000 just to get the kids to school! If they have one kid, that's over $700 a year just for transit. That is honestly not cool. Inflation has eaten everyone's salaries and we all know how much less parents can buy because of it. All prices have increased while salaries stayed the same. So even if the Transit pass is the same price, it is harder for families to afford it now.
And how about our schools? Field trips are super fun to do and we learn lots from them, but they are really difficult because teachers have to think of fares and who pays for them, and often only half the class has to pay. That is so unfair for us kids! Half of a class will be 12 and the other half will be 13 -- having the same people, the same size as you, go free while you have to pay is just so weird.
In high school, a lot of kids have jobs, and some of them have to help out at home. So some of them have to pay for their own transportation if they want to get to school. Shouldn't we be making it easier for kids to finish high school if they want to?
We need easier access to education in BC!!! WE NEED FREE TRANSIT!
So we want the government to do something about it, and help fund Translink so that it is better for kids!
Why not make transit free for kids to use?
That doesn't mean we are ok charging kids above 16 for transit. After all we want Canada to be a well-educated place without burdening families with transit or gas. We want all the kids to ride for free!
AND we NEED free transit for kids under 18 for MANY reasons!!
Now we get it's expensive to make things free, cause somebody has to pay for it. You may think that kids can't possibly make that much of a difference on Translink's budget. You would be very WRONG!
In fact, Translink admits that they are making 30 million every year from kids.
That's a lot of money, yes, but it's actually not that much if you think of the benefits. By making transit free, we are helping kids get to school, so we are creating a more educated society without parents having to buy bus passes for their kids.
Think of a family that has three kids, like some of our friends. Each kid has to have a monthly pass that costs 60 bucks. That comes to a total of over $2000 just to get the kids to school! If they have one kid, that's over $700 a year just for transit. That is honestly not cool. Inflation has eaten everyone's salaries and we all know how much less parents can buy because of it. All prices have increased while salaries stayed the same. So even if the Transit pass is the same price, it is harder for families to afford it now.
And how about our schools? Field trips are super fun to do and we learn lots from them, but they are really difficult because teachers have to think of fares and who pays for them, and often only half the class has to pay. That is so unfair for us kids! Half of a class will be 12 and the other half will be 13 -- having the same people, the same size as you, go free while you have to pay is just so weird.
In high school, a lot of kids have jobs, and some of them have to help out at home. So some of them have to pay for their own transportation if they want to get to school. Shouldn't we be making it easier for kids to finish high school if they want to?
We need easier access to education in BC!!! WE NEED FREE TRANSIT!
So we want the government to do something about it, and help fund Translink so that it is better for kids!
2. The Frequency Issue
Many of our friends end up missing the bus because the bus is full.
Then, the next bus is 45 minutes later. WHAT!
Sometimes it's faster to walk! This is infuriating for us. We are tired of getting to school sweaty after a half hour walk.
Our city has increased in population so much in the past few years, and yet Translink has not stepped up and improved their service in our city.
New Westminster needs more frequent transit and better times too! We have SO MANY PEOPLE!
Many of us have activities before school, and we can't get a bus before. More frequent routes for us in the beginning of the school day and at the end of the school day would make it much easier for us to make it to school and back.
So, can we please focus on the buses at the beginning of our school days, and also buses between 3 and 4? So that we can actually rely on public transportation? PLEASE!
Then, the next bus is 45 minutes later. WHAT!
Sometimes it's faster to walk! This is infuriating for us. We are tired of getting to school sweaty after a half hour walk.
Our city has increased in population so much in the past few years, and yet Translink has not stepped up and improved their service in our city.
New Westminster needs more frequent transit and better times too! We have SO MANY PEOPLE!
Many of us have activities before school, and we can't get a bus before. More frequent routes for us in the beginning of the school day and at the end of the school day would make it much easier for us to make it to school and back.
So, can we please focus on the buses at the beginning of our school days, and also buses between 3 and 4? So that we can actually rely on public transportation? PLEASE!