Free transit pass program for Halifax students to continue after funding uncertainty
After months of uncertainty, it was announced the day before the school year began that students in grades 7 to 12 will once again receive the passes.
Eligible junior high and high school students in Halifax Regional Municipality will continue to receive free public transit passes after months of uncertainty surrounding funding. The provincial government and municipality reached an agreement to fund the Student Transit Pass Program, which will now include private schools, homeschooling students, and students at public schools previously included in the program.
The Halifax Regional Centre for Education will distribute passes to students at five Halifax schools where public transit is more practical than school buses. The province's Department of Opportunities and Social Development funds passes for youth aged 13 to 18 who receive Employment Support and Income Assistance, amounting to over 1,700 students.
The municipality and province will jointly fund the remaining grades 7 through 12 students. Halifax Transit's acting director of planning, Anthony Edmonds, expressed excitement about the expanded program. Education Minister Brendan Maguire clarified that the province never intended to cut the program entirely, redirecting $600,000 of the $1.2 million previously contributed to provide passes for eligible youth connected to income assistance.
The passes will remain valid until August 31, 2027 and can be accessed through Halifax Transit's mobile fare payment app, HFXGO.
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