dailyloe.com – New York City students are demanding urgent fixes to the student OMNY card program. They say the cards are too fragile and function poorly. This forces some to evade fares to get to school.
More than a dozen parents and students criticized the cards at a policy meeting. The Panel for Education Policy meeting was held on Thursday night. Students like Vinny Dong have gone through multiple cards.
Dong, a Queens High School sophomore, said he is on his sixth card. He stated rain, snow, or phone contact can break them. The flexible cards differ from standard credit card-like OMNY cards.
The free student OMNY program launched in fall 2024. It provides free transit for hundreds of thousands of eligible students. Eligibility requires living over half a mile from school without a yellow bus.
Speakers argued for universal access beyond current limits. They also called for unlimited daily rides and more durable materials. The panel passed a resolution supporting these key changes.
Parents and students worry malfunctioning cards encourage fare evasion. Delays in getting replacements exacerbate the problem. Missing school is not an option for these students.
Some feel forced to jump turnstiles or use emergency doors. They do this just to attend their classes. This creates potential for police clashes over fare evasion.
The panel’s resolution aims to address these systemic flaws. It calls for faster replacement processes and better card design. The goal is reliable, equitable access to student transportation.[]
Source: Gothamist
