(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - The City of Kamloops has announced the launch of a new subsidized bus pass program for low-income adults.

The CityPASS will offer residents the opportunity to access work, school, appointments and recreational activities through transit for a fraction of cost than traditional bus passes.

Ben Chobater, a community development coordinator with the city, says the bus passes are sold in one-month, three-month and six-month increments, with each month costing $6.90. A typical one-way trip on a Kamloops transit bus costs $2.

“They can buy whichever they can afford for that month, whichever their budget allows,” Chobater says. “There's no price saving, so whether you by one month or six months, every month still costs you the same.”

Chobater says there is no cap to the number of passes available but expects less than 1,000 people to be eligible.

Those looking to apply must fall under the Statistics Canada Low Income Cut-Off, be between the ages of 19 and 59, and must not be using another subsidized bus pass, like the U-Pass for post-secondary students, in addition to other requirements. The passes will have photo identification on them to prevent misuse.

The project is in conjunction with another Kamloops program, Affordable Recreation for Community Health, which allows low-income residents to access recreational programs. Getting to the activities proved to be an issue, and CityPASS came to be as a response to that. The two separate programs share the application process, which you can check out here.

After approval, which takes about five days, you can purchase your CityPASS at the Tournament Capital Centre, Westsyde Pool and Fitness Centre or the Kamloops Museum and Archives.

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