CNIH Lobby’s City of Ottawa for Student Bus Pass Privileges

On February 24^th, Jeff Cuffe the Director of Program Development at the CNIH delivered a 5 minute presentation to the Interim Transit Commission at City Hall on behalf of the 100 full-time students and 40 faculty and administration.

The purpose of the presentation was to enable CNIH student population to have a discount rate on OC Tranpo. The City of Ottawa position was simply that status quo for the last 13 years using OSAP definition of a full-time student is good for them because they don’t have to put out any additional effort towards determining whether a college meets the criteria.

On Jan. 16^th, 2011, students in Toronto with a post-secondary student photo ID card can buy the discounted metropass on TTC services and Colleges are not required to submit anything to the TTC directly to become eligible and OSAP is not a criteria.

Miriam Wilkinson, City Councilor and Interim Transit Committee member, championed our position and recommended to Vincent Patterson, Manager, Marketing and Strategic Development, OC Transpo Transit Services, City of Ottawa to set up a meeting with CNIH to work out a solution to this long standing requirement of institutions offering OSAP as a way of determining a quality college.

CNIH hopes to follow up this message with a successful resolution within the next few weeks.