With the end to the popular Kids Ride Free Program came predictable outrage from the students, who were used to cost-free transportation. In fact, students are not entitled to free Ride On use, and the consequent debate over the end to Kids Ride Free can only be described as imprudent at best.
The Kids Ride Free Program came to an end at the beginning of July – and with it, the free transportation that many kids have come to take for granted. The program wasn’t much more than a perk for students, who mostly used it to take a free ride to the mall or perhaps to a friend’s house. For the county, it was a way to expose students to public transportation and make them more comfortable with Ride On as they grew older.
The program, though, was unsustainable, and there was no reason to bankrupt Ride On for the sake of a special interest program. Few other programs warrant being dropped in the same manner as Kids Ride Free. Can the county consider, instead, ending free rides for the disabled, or for seniors, who have no steady incomes? These are people who should have a priority for county services, rather than students, who usually have the means to pay their fares.
It is the county’s job to ensure that its services are being used in an effective way that doesn’t deplete the county budget. Some services are an absolute necessity – things that the county should never charge for – like the recent ambulance fees. Ride On, however, is not a necessity. Why are students like us entitled to free transportation? Students should not have any reason to feel that they are warranted a no-cost bus ride. The county offers Ride On as a service to its residents, and has a right to require a fee from those who use it. Before now, it was exceedingly generous in allowing students to ride without any cost.
It’s worth noting that students still pay less for Ride On than other users. An $11 monthly bus pass is available to students as an alternative to Kids Ride Free and can be used without other restrictions on its use. Students who claim that they shouldn’t have to pay to take the bus in order to get home from an after-school activity should keep in mind that they attended the activity by choice. The fact that some students could use only Ride On to get to school is reflective of a flaw in the school bus routes, not in Ride On’s fares. It still holds true that Ride On, just like any other transportation provider, is justified in imposing a fee on those using their services.
If the program could have been maintained – that is, if it could have been paid for – Kids Ride Free would have been a wonderful commercial strategy for Ride On. The money, however, is clearly needed elsewhere. There is no reason for the county to be fixated on a program that caters to kids who only show their concern for the program when it is suspended. As tough as it may seem at first, it is time for students to start paying for public transportation like everyone else.
