Ride the rocket? Don’t count on it this week, thanks to a possible transit strike. The TTC has the green light to shut down as early as today, causing grief to commuting U of T students and staff members alike.
Approximately 690,000 people use the TTC daily, including a large number of U of T students. According to the Toronto Star, relations between the company and the union representing TTC workers have been tense since March 31, when the union contract expired. The conflict is allegedly over wage increases.
“The TTC is an essential service, so a strike would basically choke the city off and…deprive people,” said Richard Soberman, of U of T’s Joint Program of Transportation. “It would have a big impact upon U of T students. Some people will not have the option of GO transit, but those who do will have a long hike from Union Station.”
Students were also vocal on the issue. For Daniela Bovolini, a first-year non-resident at Victoria College, the TTC is her only way to school. Although GO transit is an option, she would still have to find a way to get from Union Station to campus. With exams on the horizon, a strike would certainly be an inconvenience.
“This is the last week of school and all the profs will be doing reviews. If there was a strike, I’d miss reviews that are important for exams…. I definitely wouldn’t be as prepared,” said Bovolini.
Alternative transportation is a possibility for some students, like Richard Sim. “It wouldn’t affect me too much,” said Sim. “It [the TTC] is my main source of transportation, but I could get drives from friends.”
However, when it comes to preparing for exams, Sim, a non-resident from New College, is more uneasy. “A strike would affect my exam prep, because I’m always at the library to study. I wouldn’t be able to get there as easily with a strike.”
U of T administration insists, though, that if a strike occurs, “the University will be open for business as usual.” In a memo issued on April 4, provost Adel Sedra and vice-president of human resources Angela Hildyard stated that “students will be expected to write examinations as scheduled and employees will be expected to perform their jobs.”
Arrangements have been made to provide a shuttle bus between Union Station and the Medical Sciences Building, in King’s College Circle. The bus will be in operation the morning of the first day of the strike and will run every half hour from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday.
