Kwantlen students ask school to change schedule as full transit strike looms

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Students at Kwantlen Polytechnic University are asking the school to be flexible during Metro Vancouver’s transit strike. Unlike at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, students at KPU can’t live on campus.

And that will make getting to class much harder if transit workers start a full bus system shutdown next week.

Since there is no housing at KPU, it’s considered a commuter campus – a big problem if transit isn’t an option.

David Piraquive with the Kwantlen Student Association says the school needs to take that into consideration.

“They should accommodate for students who are unable to come to school because of the strikes,” he says.

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Bus drivers and maintenance workers with Coast Mountain Bus Company have been engaging in job action since the beginning of the month. Now, the union says if a deal isn’t reached by next Wednesday, they will start a full strike, with a total shutdown of the bus system on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

And to make matters worse for commuting students, 900 SkyTrain workers also voted in favour of strike action this week. While they aren’t striking just yet, it is a possibility.

Piraquive says in light of these developments, the school should change class schedules.

“I do know it’s difficult on their end and also on faculty, but they should also take into account that some students won’t be able to make it to class,” he says. “Change the schedules around, just to accommodate for a large portion of students.”

KPU says it will be business as usual next week, although it’s still looking into what it can do to help students and staff get around if the buses aren’t running.

It does run shuttle buses between its campuses in Richmond and Surrey, but there’s no indication that service will be expanded to other pick-up spots.