Brandon is poised to become the second city in Manitoba to offer free public transportation to young individuals, starting on September 1. The city is seeking funding of up to $1 million from the provincial government to compensate for the anticipated loss of transit revenue from September 2026 to August 2027.
Jon Zilkey, the superintendent and CEO of the Brandon School Division, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, highlighting the benefits for students in Grades 1 to 12. He emphasized that transportation can be a significant obstacle for students, and providing bus services helps eliminate such barriers.
Selkirk initiated a pilot program in June, offering free transit passes to all students aged 12 to 21 enrolled in local schools. The estimated cost of implementing the program in Selkirk is $500,000.
The City of Winnipeg is preparing to introduce a similar program at the start of the upcoming school year. Winnipeg Transit’s spokesperson mentioned that they are finalizing the details in collaboration with the province and plan to provide more information to operators, students, and the public soon.
The Manitoba government announced in its March budget the rollout of fare-free public transit for youth under 18 in fixed-route municipal transit systems across several cities, including Winnipeg, Brandon, Flin Flon, Selkirk, and Winkler. A budget allocation of $10 million was designated to reimburse these municipalities for the one-year pilot project.
The cost projection for running the program in Winnipeg for the 2026-27 school year is approximately $16 million, as indicated in a report presented to the city council in June.
Passes for the free transit service in Brandon will be distributed by the City of Brandon through the school division. The program is scheduled to start on September 1, with passes expected to be distributed to schools before September 8. The passes will be valid for seven days a week, not just for school commutes.
Greg Brown, the acting transportation director for the City of Brandon, anticipates an increase in youth ridership with the new program, emphasizing the long-term benefits of encouraging community members to use public transit.
Despite the program’s potential, Brown acknowledged the risk of funding cancellation but expressed optimism for a multi-year agreement in the future. Sustainable Brandon representative Kat Hunkin praised the program, emphasizing its positive impact on climate sustainability and affordability.
Efforts to implement similar initiatives in Flin Flon and Winkler are underway, although there has been no response from these cities as of CBC News’ inquiry.
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