The bus fares that took effect last Monday hurt students who rely on public transportation to get back and forth to school.
Earlier this year, an increase in bus fares were approved, raising the price of a ride from $1.50 to $1.75, and a day-pass from $5 to $7.
Cerritos College is known as a commuter college, which means that unlike other schools where students have the option to live on campus in dorms, students at Cerritos have to find a way to travel to school every single day.
While some students may be able to afford to drive, by working or receiving help from family, many can’t. This forces many to turn to the bus system.
The bus can get expensive, especially if you have to take it all the time.
$1.50 going one way may not seem like a lot of money, but it can add up quickly when you factor in the return trip bumping it up to $3 a day.
If you have to take multiple buses, you can save money by getting a transfer for a small increase, but that adds to the weekly expense.
There are options that can help, such as buying a 30-day bus pass, which costs $75 (which will also go up to $100 beginning next month), but this is not always the best option for many.
If a student were to ride the bus to school five days a week for four weeks including round trips, he will have to spend around $60.
In situations like this, the bus pass will cost more, costing the rider money in the long-run.
Students are eligible to receive a reduced fee, but they have to meet certain qualifications. Students must be enrolled in at least 12 units to qualify for these programs.
This is good for students who are taking 12 units, but hurts students who are not taking enough classes to meet this guideline. Some students may work or have other commitments, limiting them from taking a full-time schedule.
One thing that would help is trying to work with the Metro system to come in order to get a better deal for students.
Rio Hondo College has a program called “Go Rio,” which allows students to pay a $7 fee at the beginning of the semester to use certain bus lines.
Students use the bus lines and the school is charged for the bus rides at the end of the semester. While Cerritos College may not be rolling in money, it would be worth it to see if a deal could be worked out with the college and the bus lines.
Students can pay a small fee at the beginning of the semester to be able to receive free passage or a reduced fare. This would be similar to the fee paid by students who park on campus. This would also help to pay the bus lines for rides.
There is no easy solution to the fare increases, but the bus lines are a business that deserves to make money. Seeing as many students rely on buses to get to school, work and home, something needs to be done to give them a helping hand.
