Fraser Valley – – BC Transit and its local government partners (including Abbotsford and Chilliwack) are once again offering the popular GradPASS program for graduating high school students.
Schools in nearly 70 communities across British Columbia take part in the program that allows Grade 12 students to ride the bus for free, any two days during the month of June. The GradPASS program aims to help students consider all transportation options when planning a safe ride home at graduation time.
To use a GradPASS, students simply scratch off their two chosen travel days, which do not have to be consecutive. When boarding the bus, they present the card along with a valid student ID to the driver.
GradPASS cards will be handed out to students by participating schools in late May. You can find more information about the GradPASS program here.
This program was first introduced in Vancouver in 1988 to encourage safe transportation options during graduation season for Grade 12 students. The Victoria Regional Transit System adopted GradPASS in 1990, with other communities following suit over the years. Today, nearly 70 communities across the province offer GradPASS to new graduates at the end of May for use in June, that adds up to over 20,000 students taking part!
The cost of this program is covered by local governments and BC Transit. Currently, there are five local government partners that provide year-round free transit for high school students in Kitimat, Whistler, Penticton, Victoria, and Summerland.
For more information on BC Transit schedules, fares and to sign up for customer alerts, please visit bctransit.com and select your local transit system.
