New UTM shuttle buses to hit the road

During the first Quality Service to Students (QSS) meeting in the new academic year, the council announced that four new shuttle busses with WiFi capabilities will be added to service the routes at UTM.

The QSS is a council of students and administrators that works on issues concerning the student experience at UTM. The council discusses the improvement of services like the career centre and the shuttle service.

There are 11 student voting members of the council who come from the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU), the University of Toronto Mississauga Association of Graduate Students (UTMAGS), the University of Toronto Athletic Council, and the University of Toronto Mississauga Residence Council.

There are also six staff voting members, which include the Student Affairs Dean, the Career Centre Dean, the Department of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation Director, the Health and Counselling Director, the Principal of UTM, and the Chief Administrative Officer.

According to Salma Fakhry, the President of the UTMSU and a voting member on the QSS, “The UTMSU and UTMAGS have been lobbying for better shuttle busses with the administration for a number of years through QSS and the transportation advisory committee.”

All four shuttle busses will provide WiFi; however, the WiFi will not be fully accessible immediately. The busses are also equipped with shock-proof technology.

Fakhry stated that students who regularly use the shuttle bus service had expressed explicit desire for these capabilities over the years. “We’re excited to finally see it happen,” Fakhry continued.

UTM students can ride the shuttle busses for free, provided that they are registered and have paid their fees. Non-UTM students can also use the shuttle service. However, non-UTM students must buy tickets at specific locations. The regular, one-way fare is $6.

The shuttle service currently offers three routes that are available for students to take. The St. George route runs between UTM and UTSG, the Sheridan route between UTM and Sheridan College, and the last route between UTM, the Mississauga Hospital, and the Credit Valley Hospital. However, only students registered in the Mississauga Academy of Medicine are permitted to take the last route.