THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011
YOUR NO. 1 SOURCE FOR NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER AND ENTERTAINMENT
THENOWNEWSPAPER.COM
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER@THESURREYNOW
SFU Surrey green team gets some green Erik Kjeang and his team of Simon Fraser University students are using a $4.1M grant to develop a new generation of heavy duty, extra-durable bus fuel cells that last
longer and are cheaper to manufacture. Kjeang expects to hire up to three dozen more researchers for the project. See full story on page 3. (Photo: KEVIN HILL)
Transportation
Bus pass costs students, like it or not
Angry drivers say Kwantlen shouldn’t ding them for transit passes because they never take bus to school I don’t need the pass. I wish they would refund me my money back.
Tom Zytaruk
Now staff twitter@tomzytaruk
SURREY – Ever been forced to pay for something you can’t use and don’t want? Some Kwantlen Polytechnic University students who drive to classes are angry at being dinged $40 a month for a mandatory bus pass program they can’t opt out of. Agnes Roberts works as a nurse at Surrey Memorial Hospital and has enrolled in classes at Kwantlen to upgrade her nursing degree. She lives in Guildford, and drives to school. Roberts, like some other drivers attending Kwantlen, is upset she’s being forced to subsidize transit users.
Agnes Roberts
“I don’t need the pass,” she insists. “It’s frustrating. I wish they would refund me my money back.” It’s called the KSA (Kwantlen Student Association) MultiPass and it’s costing Roberts $160 this semester, on top of her
tuition. Kwantlen students voted the program in by referendum. Their student association acknowledges on its website that public transit “is not available in all communities, particularly in some areas of South Surrey and Langley,” and for that reason incorporates access to a fitness centre into the pass, among other features such as a campus-to-campus shuttle. University spokeswoman Joanne Saunders called the shuttle service an “innovative way to try to alleviate” long transit waits for some students. All the same, some students just want their cash back. Roberts says she’s tried to opt out, with no
success. According to the contract between Kwantlen, the student association and TransLink, which expires March 31, 2013, Kwantlen is allowed to exempt up to five per cent of all students, by application. see STUDENTS WANT › page 3
Inside
Roses & Rotten Tomatoes Viewpoint Arts & Life Salute to Labour Sports Classifieds
9 10 13 16 37 40
Test Drive a 2011 Mazda 2 at Freeway Mazda DL25555
in Surrey
Surrey’s home of ZOOM ZOOM!
604-566-8296
GT model shown from $19,790
FINANCE FROM
$94 2.9% + $500 AT
BIWEEKLY
APR for 84 mths
$0 down payment. On finance price from $15,490. Includes freight & PDI. Taxes extra.
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: MON-THURS 9-9, FRI-SAT 9-6, SUN 11-5
SIGNING BONUS
090111
St. & FREEWAY154th 104th Ave.
WWW.FREEWAYMAZDA.CA