City of Saskatoon celebrates two years of ClassPass

The City of Saskatoon is celebrating two years of a school transit program.

ClassPass lets teachers schedule a field trip free of charge with city buses. More than 26,000 students have used the program since it started.

Transit director Jim McDonald explained how it works.

“(Students) go to their regular bus stop. We send them the details of time, location, where they should get off to transfer, and they do that all on their own,” he said.

He says it’s a good way for kids to learn how the system works.

“(Middle-school kids) learn early on how to use the bus before they have to go to high school,” McDonald said.

He also says it takes a financial burden off of the school board.

“It helps these teachers take their students out and learn by being out in the environment … (and do) all sorts of activities that they wouldn’t have been able to do if they had to rely on the school’s charter budget,” he said.

Teachers have to book two weeks ahead of time to set up a ride. Only one class can ride a single bus at a time.