Further talks are planned to try and find a solution to the University of Guelph student bus pass issue.
The school's Central Student Association executive was meeting Monday to discuss the matter and a second meeting with Guelph Transit officials (they also met Thursday) was scheduled for Tuesday.
"Work is being done, and we are exploring all options for feasibility," said CSA external affairs commissioner Scarlett Raczycki Monday.
Guelph Transit manager Phil Meagher said he wouldn't be commenting until he had met with the student representatives on Tuesday.
Brenda Whiteside, the U of G's associate vice-president of student affairs, said she is hopeful and optimistic something can be worked out.
Whiteside said the contract is between the CSA and Guelph Transit and other than as an advisory and supportive capacity, the U of G administration isn't involved.
A referendum earlier this month during on-campus elections failed to garner the number of votes required to ratify a new agreement between the Central Students Association and Guelph Transit for the heavily-subsidized universal bus pass.
The CSA's own bylaws prevent the same question from being voted on again for a year, which put the immediate future of the bus pass in limbo.
Since 1995 all undergrad students at the U of G have been part of the universal bus pass program that sees them currently pay $100 per semester for full use of Guelph Transit. Graduate students joined the plan in 2000.
The school's 16,000 full-time students currently pay roughly one-third the cost of a full-priced bus pass.
The current agreement runs out at the end of April and the new agreement negotiated by the CSA would have seen a $50 incremental increase over the next five years.
But only 2,900 ballots were cast on the issue during the CSA election, far short of the 4,000 needed for quorum.
Of the 2,900 that did vote on the failed referendum, 75 per cent voted in favour of the new deal.
