Yet another controversial move

Flyers are everywhere you go on campus. Little posters here, clever attention grabbers, and little yellow slips on every car in the university parking lot, all informing the students of a tuition increase of $50 per term.

It turns out, the GRT (public transit body) has struck a deal with the student government by providing every student with a $50 non-refundable bus pass, per term. While it sound like an amazing deal it’s important to note that only 15% of Waterloo students actually use public transportation to get to school. A large number of students walk to school, and a good number of them drive there. So by introducing a non-refundable buss pass that only 15% will use, seems like a big scam for most students. Especially for those who live on campus where everything is provided for them.

I’m one of the students who drive to school everyday, and while it is environmentally unfriendly, I see it as the only convenient way to get to school. If I were to take the bus everyday to school I would have to walk about 1.5 Km to the appropriate bus route, and spend a good hour and fifteen minutes each way to school. So that would be over 3 hours of time wasted every single day, time that is preciously needed to catch up on school work, resting, having a life, and every now and then, sleeping. If I drive to school, it takes me 20 minutes maximum each way, and I have the convenience of going back home quickly to pick up an assignment, or get the odd thing done with between classes.

This is the way of living in the suburbs. There’s ample parking space, and inconvenient public transportation, both in terms of timing and method. The only form of public transportation is a city buses, and they are slow, and separated by minimum 20 minutes. In Toronto things are different. The city is so packed that you’re better off jumping on the subway, or streetcar than driving and having to find parking. It’s more environmentally friendly, convenient, and even cheaper to take public transportation in Toronto. Waterloo is not like Toronto, and in no way should be considered a big city, at least not yet.

But it’s not over yet. There’s a referendum in a few days where students get to vote whether they would rather have $50 added to their tuition, or have the option of buying an equally cheap pass, without forcing everybody to get one. From what I hear, many people plan to vote "No", so hopefully this idiotic plan of encouraging public transportation will fall through. I’m all for taking public transportation, but not when it’s inconvenient, and especially not when it’s forced on me.