By BEN CLARKE

Staff Writer

It’s not often that you here the word free anymore. When people do, they tend to take advantage of it.

Based on results from a student-wide referendum, a universal bus pass was implemented on Sept. 1, 2008. The U>PASS was a solution to students’ transportation troubles at Niagara College.

Welland Transit bus, picking up students in front of Niagara College Photo by Ben Clarke

The U>PASS is free of charge for students starting in September, or those returning to their studies. The sticker can be picked up at the campus SAC office. You simply apply the sticker to your student card and you are free to use Welland transit as you wish.

Starting Sept. 7, links from both Niagara Falls and St. Catharines will be available to both the Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake Campuses. Niagara College has a bus that makes runs to Brock University and back throughout the day.

Melissa Wright, 19, said, “there is not a lot to do within walking distance from the college, so the U>PASS is a big help. I wouldn’t be able to manage otherwise.”

Those traveling on the bus lines without a U>PASS will have to pay a fee of $2.50. Children 12 and under ride free. There are also an econopass and monthly passes available at the Welland Bus Terminal, which is located at 160 East Main St. They’re also available at Seaway Mall, the Transit office and from a number of transit drivers. Schedules change throughout the year; however, times are posted at Niagara College and the bus terminal.

Another option for students who find themselves a distance from a bus stop is to take a Trans-Cab. The Welland Transit Trans-Cab provides service to areas of the city that transit buses don’t serve. You can book a trip in advance and the driver will pick you up at your door by taxi and connect you to regular Welland transit buses headed downtown. The fee is only 75 cents more than regular bus fair.

For those students who want to escape to the big city for a weekend, Coach Canada (www.coachcanada.ca) provides daily trips to Toronto for a price of $15 one-way. En route to Toronto, Coach Canada makes stops in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Grimsby. Coach Canada also provides a bus to Brockville, Cornwall and Kingston. These buses make pick-ups and drop-offs at the bus terminal.

For information on schedules and routes, pamphlets are available at the bus terminal call 905-732-5500 or visiting www.welland.ca/transit.