SFU and UBC are both encouraging students to carpool to campus, as transit workers give 72-hour strike notice

The threat of transit disruptions are worrying some university students, who are now planning other ways to get to class

BURNABY (NEWS 1130) – University students worried about service disruptions are reaching out to each other for help.

Sylvia Ceacero with the SFU Student Society says social media networks could come in handy this weekend.

“Potentially we could put it on Facebook, with groups online,” she says. “So that we can create communities of people that drive up the mountain and offer car rides to others.”

Ceacero says while students are hoping a deal can be reached by Friday, they’re preparing in case that doesn’t happen.

“We are being proactive. We are hoping that we plan, but that the plan doesn’t need to be executed, obviously. But we are planning in case it does.”

She adds SFU staff are looking at setting up some temporary parking spaces on campus where access is already limited because of construction work on Burnaby Mountain.

“The university is also committed to increasing parking spots. Because some of them are now blocked off for the construction that is happening,” Ceacero adds. “They’re also indicating drop-off locations at the Burnaby campus to deal with the potential increase in vehicles.”

Students and staff at UBC are also being encouraged to carpool or find alternative methods of transportation like car-sharing.

Chris Hakim with UBC’s Alma Matter Society says in a statement emailed to NEWS 1130, that they “empathize with students who are affected by the strike and we hope that Coast Mountain Bus Company can come to an agreement with the Union. We have contacted Unifor in order to keep up with any upcoming news that may affect students.”