Students concerned about commuting as Metro Vancouver transit strike continues
Posted November 5, 2019 11:38 am.
Last Updated November 5, 2019 11:43 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As transit workers’ job action continues across Metro Vancouver, students are beginning to feel stressed about getting to and from school.
That’s the case for students at Capilano University, on the North Shore. Emily Bridge, president of the Capilano Students’ Union, says some of her peers take both the bus and the SeaBus.
“We have a lot of students that come from quite far away in the Metro Vancouver area – Surrey, Richmond, those places. I’m sure it’s difficult for them to get to class on time,” she says.
Talks between Unifor and Coast Mountain Bus Company, which operates transit services on behalf of TransLink, broke off last week, leading to job action by roughly 5,000 Unifor transit drivers, SeaBus operators and mechanics.
Working conditions, pay, and benefits are the main sticking points in negotiations, which are now at a standstill.
RELATED: University students prepare to carpool as threat of transit strike looms
So far, there have been a significant number of SeaBus delays, but the union is expecting bus cancellations to start later this week.
Bridge says getting to the Capilano campus from downtown Vancouver is already tricky.
“I know some students have noticed the SeaBus cancellations and I think because of that and because folks are worried about those cancellations, they’re making alternative plans,” she says.
“Right now I think we’re seeing indirect impacts. It’s not so clear what’s happening, but people are having to adjust and make changes and prepare for delays that may or may not happen.”
Other universities around the Lower Mainland have set up special pages on their websites dedicated to updates about the transit strike.
Simon Fraser University is also bracing for impact. The university says if more people start driving because of the transit strike, it may increase parking and drop-off locations on Burnaby Mountain.
With files from Lauren Boothby
