Winnipeg looking to cap free bus pass program for youth, citing cost concerns

The City of Winnipeg is looking to cap the number of free transit passes for youth as it figures out how to pay for the province's program.

The City of Winnipeg is looking to put a cap on free transit passes for youth this upcoming school year.

As part of the 2026 budget, the province announced funding to provide free transit passes for all school-aged kids.

For Winnipeg, the province has earmarked $10 million for the program, which would run from September 2026 to August 2027. However, the Public Service is estimating the cost could come in at almost $16.5 million, resulting in a $6.5 million difference.

“The city estimates the total number of youth between the ages of 11-18 years old at approximately 65,000, 60,000 of which are estimated to be attending school. Based on these numbers, this program has the potential to be significantly larger than any other program Transit currently offers,” a city report reads.

The Public Service notes the higher cost isn’t just related to the number of youth, but also takes into consideration lost revenue from the free rides as well as hiring more bus drivers to meet peak demand.

With this, the city is putting a cap on passes, providing 30,000 for youth, which would be distributed by schools. More passes might be able to be handed out depending on how transit is able to deal with a potential uptick in riders.

The Public Service notes a lot of assumptions were made in this report and the full impacts of this program still need to be studied.

The Public Service would come back to council in March next year to discuss findings and see how the program is running, if more funding would be available, and how transit is being impacted.

If the program is popular, it’s possible the program would only run from September to March if additional funding isn’t available.

The $6.5 million difference will be forwarded to the city’s budget process next year.