A Simon Fraser University student has started a fundraiser to hire a charter bus to take people to the Burnaby campus ahead of a full shutdown of Metro Vancouver’s bus and SeaBus system.
Grayson Lee got the idea after he posted a message in an SFU carpooling group on Facebook and got plenty of traction.
“I’m thinking of renting a 50-seater bus to go from Production [Way] up and down the mountain on Wed – Fri between school hours, if there’s enough interest. It’d cost between 3-4$ per trip (much cheaper than the $15 cab ride). If you are interested please comment below,” Lee wrote on Nov. 21.
The post had 28 comments and 79 likes as of Monday morning, and a GoFundMe page was set up Sunday to raise the $3,000 required up front for the bus.
“I’m optimistic that it could happen,” Lee told Black Press Media by phone Monday.
“There are members of the public of Vancouver offering to loan part of the costs and certain students pitching in, too.”
The bus would run from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Wednesday till Friday.
Lee said SFU has not made any accommodations for students stranded by the strike, although some professors have.
“Luckily, one of my professors who has a quiz in his class has offered to do it remotely,” he said.
“But there would be a presentation that I would be missing, and participation marks.”
The university confirmed to Black Press Media that classes will continue as scheduled throughout the transit strike.
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