Free youth transit pilot, flag protocol on Regina council agenda

A group of Regina teens are hoping the city goes through with a pilot project to bring free transit to youths.

Kimberli Kolody-Watt with the Better Bus Youth non-profit said the move would alleviate a lot of financial stress for students.

Read More:

• Regina Transit signs deal to buy 53 electric buses
• Regina Transit ditches R-Card for new Umo app with fare capping
• ‘Neighbours feeding neighbours’: Regina’s Stuff the Bus Campaign combats hunger

Regina’s city council is expected to discuss a recommendation on Wednesday that would bring fare-free transit to a select Regina high school. Council is expected to decide on the school during the meeting.

A single-ride fare for youths age 14-18 costs $2.75. Transit is free for kids 13 and under, as well as Grade 8 students. A 31-day pass for a youth costs $88 and a semi-annual pass costs $300.

“I’ve had a lot of my Better Bus Youth members and people who hear about us tell me that that busses cost a lot each ride, even though it’s only $2.75,” Kolody-Watt said.

“They feel like that they can’t keep up with the financial burden of passes and bus money.”

Kolody-Watt, a high school student herself, is scheduled to speak as a delegate at Wednesday’s meeting.

“My whole goal as Better Bus Youth leader is to make sure that we take care of our youth and make sure that they have a safe (ride) home,” she said.

“If I can’t do that and convince them, it’ll upset me a bit and it’ll upset a lot of people, but I just have to keep going because this is something that I’m not going to give up, especially if my sisters take the bus – I’m not going to give up on that.”

Changing the flag protocol

Once again, a discussion on amending the city’s flag protocols is on the agenda for council. The motion was first brought to council after blowback from the City of Regina’s decision to raise the Israeli flag outside of City Hall last May.

The motion was tabled twice, and former Mayor Sandra Masters cancelled a planned raising of the Palestinian flag outside of city hall.

The proposed new protocols would reject the raising of any flag outside of City Hall other than of the flags of Canada, Saskatchewan, the City of Regina, the Métis Nation, Treaty 4 and the Union Jack. The amendment would also carry exceptions for the flags of charitable organizations or the flag of a visiting dignitary with whom Canada has diplomatic relations.

2025 housing incentives policy pilots

Council is also slated to discuss amending the city’s Housing Incentive Policy to remove a 25 per cent tax exemption for secondary suites and also let those suites – and backyard suites – be granted the same incentives as other units.

The recommendation also seeks to add the Rental Acquisition & Repair Pilot Incentive to the Housing Incentives Policy in 2025 and 2026. This would come with an annual $2 million from the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund.