Vernon Matters file photo

By Liam Verster

Potential Free Transit For Youth Pilot

Vernon moving ahead with exploring free transit for youth

Oct 14, 2025 | 4:34 PM

Youth in Greater Vernon may see a free transit project launched soon, depending on if the city’s partners want to be involved.

At the regular meeting Tuesday, October 14, Vernon City Council voted in favour of having discussions with the District of Coldstream and the Regional District of North Okanagan about a potential Free Transit for Youth pilot program.

These discussions will be held as part of the upcoming 2026 transit fare and cost-sharing reviews held between the three municipal partners.

“One of the things that happens with all fare changes is we need to include Coldstream and the regional district because we have bus routes that we share, so this will be part of the conversation with them in 2026,” Mayor Victor Cumming told Vernon Matters following Tuesday’s meeting. He added a financial feasibility study regarding this type of program should be available in the near future.

“We’ve got [financial impact] numbers already, the question is are we prepared to do it, and we’ll have to see what our partners are interested in,” he said.

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The Mayor noted people had been comparing Vernon to Penticton, where a program providing youth aged 18 and under with free transit service was already running. He highlighted how that program is being supported through outside funds whereas the one for Vernon would have to be funded internally and would add to the municipalities’ costs.

“We have to have a real careful look at this before we step into it,” Cumming said.

He also indicated a free youth transit service program would require the youth to get special passes to be scanned while boarding a bus, and that could provide the municipalities with more information about youth ridership figures.

Discussions about offering free transit services for local youth aged 18 and under have been in the works since being brought before Vernon Council by a pair of local highschool students, Jade Ha and Haylee Andal, in May of 2024.