$100-Uber rides, half-hour walks to campus: College students share how Fraser Valley strike has affected their commute
The continued transit strike gripping the jap Fraser Valley has pressured commuters to seek out, and pay for, alternate types of transportation to get to the place they should go — and college students have been notably impacted, having to show to dearer choices like Uber and taxis.
The strike, which began Monday, has lower all bus providers — besides HandyDart service — throughout Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Agassiz, Harrison and Hope.
CUPE, the union representing the roughly 200 drivers on strike, says the important thing points are a wage hole between Fraser Valley bus drivers and different drivers, working situations and the necessity for a pension.
For Rofri Mpaka, his 40-minute Uber experience to the College of the Fraser Valley campus value him over $100 — a visit that might usually value $2.25 utilizing public transportation.
The transit strike gripping the jap Fraser Valley is having a huge impact on individuals, from college college students to these with low incomes. The CBC’s Yasmine Ghania spent the day in Abbotsford, calculating how a lot it will value to get across the metropolis with no automotive.
Scholar Makenna Brar says her college courses appeared emptier than regular this week.
“A few my instructors have given a pair on-line choices to submit a quote a few studying or one thing like that as an alternative of getting an in-person possibility as a result of it’s troublesome for lots of youngsters to get to class,” she stated.
One other scholar thinks universities ought to transfer their courses on-line like they did throughout the pandemic so college students aren’t shouldering the additional value of getting to high school.
“Why ought to the scholars have to do this when the colleges can simply log on once more like they’ve?” requested Amytis Adham. “I really feel like they need to be capable to accommodate.”
For others, discovering options additionally prices further time.
“It took me greater than half an hour. With the bus, that just about takes like 10 minutes,” stated third-year worldwide scholar Jhanavi Sharma, who selected to stroll. “Uber surges the worth quite a bit as effectively. It is actually unhealthy.”
However regardless of the additional value and time misplaced, Sharma says she understands the strikers.
“I actually perceive their downside as effectively,” she stated.
Labour Minister Harry Bains informed CBC Information he’s carefully following the dispute between CUPE and the employer First Transit, which operates the buses within the Fraser Valley, and has a mediator on standby.
Neither the employer nor the union have taken him up on the supply.
