Students Vent Transit Woes at DSU/CFS meeting /\_ MASSA ql Ss O, Thursday, November 29, a group of students gathered at the Douglas Student Union recreation room to share grievances with the state of public transit today. The event was part of the touring “We Ride” public transportation consultation campaign, hosted by the Canadian Federation of Students. Among the many complaints heard, many students felt that the buses on the roads today are too overcrowded, too hot, too expensive, and lack quality overall. Similarly, one of the biggest concerns many students voiced was that a number of buses today are too often late and far too expensive for the services they provide. Students argued that due to a lack of buses on the _ streets, it has become impossible for many of them to even see a seat if they manage to squeeze their way onto a bus, much less actually get an opportunity to sit down. In extreme cases, on the busiest routes of Vancouver, the buses may even reach their capacity, making it extremely difficult for commuters to reach work or school on time. This means that if the buses are even the slightest bit late, in most cases, the rider is going to be late for their destination. Another problem voiced by the SkyTrain and bus commuters was that the vehicles were heavily impacted by bad weather. Both SkyTrain and bus alike been known to “freeze up” in the middle of a route or on a track line. Many felt that a pubic transit system based in a country with a wintry climate such as Canada should not have weather-related problems, and that public transportation vehicles should be equipped to better handle harsh conditions. On a related topic, most of the riders were of the opinion that the heat becomes nearly unbearable when riding a skytrain or bus, even during the winter. Because the bus drivers want to stay warm and comfortable, they wear shorts and a t-shirt during the winter months, figuring that they will stay warm by blasting the heater. While the students who attended the meeting felt that drivers do indeed have a right to be comfortable, it shouldn’t be at the expense of the riders, who come into a blazing hot bus after the blistering cold outside. It has even become a safety issue, and several people have fainted from dizziness caused by extreme heat on buses. Bus schedules were also brought up at the meeting. Many bus times are posted at bus stops, but students complained they were seldom correct or up to date. In many cases, the schedules are often completely wrong, but there is no way of informing prospective passengers if they have just missed the bus or when it will next arrive. One person had an interesting solution to that problem. He recommended that all buses be outfitted with a GPS tracking device that would be able to pinpoint how far away the bus was from each station. He said that this would properly let people know when their bus would truly arrive, and that if people could watch the approach of the bus, and know that it is indeed coming, ridership of public transit would be increased. The cleanliness of SkyTrain stations was also a perceived to be an issue. Students found it unwelcoming to walk intoa filthy, grungy SkyTrain station at any time of day, let alone during the middle of the night, when many people get off work. Individuals that smoked at SkyTrain and bus stations also bothered some people at the meeting. Some were infuriated by having to inhale second hand smoke and the stench of a cigarette while they waited at a busy station. Judging from the event, these are a few of the problems students have today with BC’s transit system. If you have an issue or difficulty with the public transportation system, students are encouraged to bring it up with the DSU, who, along with the CFS, have instituted the “We Ride” program to allow students to voice their concerns with the state of transportation affairs today. Student Union General Meeting of 2007 Continued from Page 5 Future of DSU’s receivership status remains hazy, despite progress Perhaps Wolfe’s mostsignificant question came near the meeting’s end, when he openly asked Marne Jensen when the DSU’s receivership status was expected to conclude. Previously, the AGM’s approval of the DSU’s two outstanding audits was expected to be one of the last major hurdles to clear in this regard, but Jensen replied by saying the matter may still have some other challenges ahead. She noted that even with the audits approved, it is still unclear precisely what the DSU will have to do to meet the BC Supreme Court’s standard of full compliance. Receiver manager Marne Jensen (right) sits with College VPs The Supreme Court’s original order, which The Other Press could not obtain, evidently declared that the DSU’s receivership would be revoked upon completion of the outstanding audits and a return to financial competence. Jensen noted that such language could be “interpreted in a lot of different ways,” suggesting that in particular the College administration—one of the parties in the lawsuit that imposed the receivership— has suggested that they do not believe that an “audit with qualifications” constitutes a completed audit. DSU College Relations Coordinator Matthew Steinbach likewise suggested that the DSU may need to hire a permanent financial staffer, which they lack at present, in order to meet the Court’s standards of compliance. “In coming weeks the DSU _ rep committee will make a decision on how to proceed,” Jensen concluded. Overall, a modest agenda The meeting’s adjournment, which came around 6:30, garnered the loudest cheers of all. It was, overall, a modest AGM, in which few genuinely substantial decisions were made—aside from the fee increase. No replacements were appointed for the ~~ DSU’s two vacant board seats, and although the fee increase technically came in the form of a constitutional amendment, _ there were no _ other significant changes made to the union’s bylaws. In previous discussions with The Other Press, DSU officials had appeared somewhat unclear if new DSU board members could be approved via an annual general meeting. According Matthew Steinbach, however, upon closer examination of the society’s bylaws it was later determined that replacements can only be appointed through a student union by-election. Steinbach similarly stated that no constitutional reforms were placed on the AGM agenda because the DSU board has recently decided to draft an entirely new constitution altogether, a process which may take significant time. to coordinator “We've never really done this before, so an exact time frame is impossible to give,’ he said, noting that the draft of the new constitution is still making its way through the DSU’s Policy and Bylaws Committee, and will then have to undergo the legal scrutiny of the student union’s lawyer. “Maybe it will be done by the next AGM, maybe not. We could need even more time.”