Sheridan Students either drive a car or use other forms of transportation to get to school. The concept of the commute cannot be ignored. Traffic can determine if you make it to class on time that day. The type of transport you use is determined by the choices you have available and your lifestyle decisions.
Some people have driver’s licenses but don’t drive. Their choice can be influenced by their finances.
“Insurance is expensive especially if you are a new driver – also the gas prices. My whole paycheck would go to the car. I need it for tuition, I have to pay that first. If I had money I would probably get a used Honda Civic,” says Sean Caco, a student at PILON at HMC.
“I take the Mi Way Bus because I just go to school and go to work, and it is around the same vicinity. If I needed to go to Oakville I would just take the bus. If there is an established route like in Niagara I would also take transit. If I really needed to go somewhere I ask my dad to drive me – I even offered to pay for gas,” says Caco.
The cost of the car goes beyond what you purchased it for. Gasoline on average is 157 cents per litre in Ontario according to the Ministry of Energy. Filling up 40 litres from empty would cost approximately 62.8 dollars.
“My biggest expense is car insurance. Brampton has the highest premiums in all of Ontario. I have to shell out nearly 700 dollars monthly. Almost makes me feel like a car isn’t worth it but it’s become a necessity rather than a commodity to most if it can be afforded,” says Davy Au, an Honours Bachelor of Community Safety student at the Davis Campus. Insurance premiums are mandatory in Canada and are way more expensive for newer drivers. The average insurance cost per year in a city like Brampton is 2,707 dollars according to RATESDOTCA.
Parking is another big expense that drivers need to pay. An annual parking pass for all campuses is 690 dollars. A day ticket is 13 dollars for the Davis and Trafalgar campuses. Hazel Mcallion parking prices can vary on what is available.
In addition to the maintenance, the expenses add up very quickly.
Transit is marginally cheaper. In Oakville, it costs 4 dollars per ride for adults or 139 dollars for a monthly GO pass. Public transit is an affordable alternative however, it is limited by a set route and time.
Some can save money by not driving – but for those who live far from campus, cars are a necessary cost.
“So, as of now, I do drive to campus every day. My commute time to the campus from home is about 35 to 40 minutes,” says Abhay Bhingradia a Bachelor of Cybersecurity student at Trafalgar campus. “So driving a car feels much easier to commute, to be honest, when I had to get to the campus at 8 in the morning. Before I had a car it used to take me about 2 hours to reach there.”
The decision to drive a car is influenced by factors like distance and expenses. The regular expenses from cars are a payoff for the relative freedom they give. With the high cost of living in the Greater Toronto Area, students need to consider if they can even afford it.
To Drive or Not To Drive by John Gardiner