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.
Free transit passes for students in Halifax will continue after funding uncertainty was resolved. The provincial government and municipality agreed to extend the Student Transit Pass Program, which will benefit junior high and high school students in grades 7 to 12. The program, which was put into question following the province's decision to cut funding, was announced just before the start of the school year.
The Halifax Regional Centre for Education will provide transit passes for students attending five schools where public transit is more practical than school buses, while the province's Department of Opportunities and Social Development will fund passes for over 1,700 youth aged 13 to 18 who are connected to Employment Support and Income Assistance.
The city of Halifax will also fund passes for remaining grades 7 through 12 students. Anthony Edmonds, Halifax Transit's acting director of planning, expressed excitement over the expanded program, which now includes private schools, homeschooled students, and public school students from the previous year. The program will run until August 31, 2027, and can be accessed through Halifax Transit's mobile fare payment app, HFXGO, as well as through physical passes upon request.
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