Bikes
benefit
business

More protected cycling
lanes would mean
more foot traffic for
South Van storefronts
By PALAK KLAIRE
ver are not receiving the

B full benefit of increased

traffic from cyclists due to South
Vancouver’s scattered bike lanes
that are often unprotected from
traffic.

According to Kay Teschke, a
professor at UBC who helped initi-
ate the Cycling in Cities program
which investigates factors that
encourage or discourage cycling,
people fear the busiest trails in
South Vancouver as a result of
sparse biking routes that are often
potentially dangerous.

Teschke said, “in popular areas for
bicycling like Main Street there are
no decent bike lanes.”

Many bikers fear collisions and
while many bike lanes provide
protection the risk factors are a big
concern for large parts of South
Vancouver.

“Cambie has bike lanes but they

usinesses in South Vancou-

"Cambie has bike
lanes but they
are not physically
separated, its just
paint and only some
are willing to use
them.”

— KAY TESCHKE, UBC PROFESSOR

are not physically separated, its just
paint and only some people are will-
ing to ride on them, along Marine
Drive so there are so many places
where we just don’t have proper bike
lanes,” Teschke said.

Small businesses in South
Vancouver are better served by
walking, transit, and cycling because
drivers often choose bigger box
stores. It’s tiresome to bike long

distances and
Jas a result
riders often
choose to go
on a short jour-
ney to nearby
shops but will
purchase less
than those who
drove.

According
to Rob Nijjar,
executive director of the South Hill
Business Association, “the number
of bicycle lanes in the city is calcu-
lated partially by request. If demand
is low, fewer lanes may amount to
the same level of public service."

According to Nijjar efforts have
been made by the city of Vancouver
and the South Hill Business Asso-
ciation in expanding South Vancou-
ver’s biking network. “Installation of
bike racks has been happening for
years people on Fraser. On the street
you will see there are bike racks, as
we work with the city, that’s what
our business association does to
improve our area,” Nijjar said.

Kay Teschke
UBC PROFESSOR

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Domestic and international students walking the hallways of Langara College. International students are struggling to make ends meet as they are limited to
work only 20 hours in a week while studying. Joc AyRes PHOTO

Twenty hours not enough

International students struggle with tight work restrictions

By STEVEN CHANG

nternational students must
not work over 20 hours
a week while studying.
Many students find it is not
enough to support themselves and
end-up working under the table.

International students that were
interviewed by The Voice who work
over their 20 hours limit weren't
willing to speak out due to the risk
of getting fired and potentially
losing their status in Canada.

It is a requirement for interna-
tional students to have a minimum
of $10,000 in their bank account
to receive a monthly’s Guaranteed
Investment Certificate.

“International students are only

getting about $670 every month
from GIC, which is a tight budget
to live off. Naturally, there is a
tendency to work over-
time even though they're
not allowed to,” said Kane
Lillywhite, who works at
a financial institution at
Langara.

International students
often encounter diffi-
culties with affordabil-
ity living in Vancouver.
Sayem Behl is a second-
year computer science
student at Langara, who knows
many students from India that are
currently working over the limit but
wont reveal their identity, due to
concerns that if revealed they would

no longer be able to stay in Canada.
Behl said, “I am lucky that I have
a good employer at my software

“Some students are

Student’s Union, Navjot Warring, is
an international student and thinks
students are working part-time jobs
according to their needs.
“I live with my uncle,
so rent isn’t an issue. But

* other students are work-

working to put less ing so they can afford a car.

burden on their Some students are work-

” ing to put less burden on

parents back home. their parents back home,"
— NAVJOT WARRING Warring said.

LSU VICE PRESIDENT Student loans are often

company. But if you ask anybody
whether they're working for more
than 20 hours, they won't tell you
anything.”

The Vice President at the Langara

important to international
students at Langara since
they pay $590 per credit while
domestic students pay between
$99.42 and $129.31 per credit

according to the Langara website.

Grads without a licence stalled

Employers often
want students
coming out of
schoo! to drive

By GINA ROGERS

raduating students often
don't have a driver’s
licence due to the high

kost of driving and this is nega-
tively affecting their employment
bpportunities, even for non-driving
related jobs.

Langara student, Sumeet Gupta,
baid, “I’d rather use transit because
it’s so expensive. I just purchased my
insurance a few weeks ago. It went
up by almost a thousand dollars and
Il was scared.”

The Mercer Cost of Living survey
ranked Vancouver the most expen-
sive Canadian city this year. The
average student in B.C. graduates
with debt, linked to rising costs
bf living in the province. With
the U-Pass B.C. student transit
program, however, many South
Vancouver students manage to

kommute to school reliably.

The Insurance Corporation of
British Columbia insures the 3.2
million Canadians who are required
to have basic coverage through
them. In September ICBC reduced
their subsidies for rates on new driv-
ers. Joanna Linsangan, a communi-
cations specialist with ICBC, said,
“the old model wasn't fair”, to those
who had, “taken the steps to get

"T just purchased
my insurance a
few weeks ago. It
went up by almost a
thousand dollars.”

—SUMEET GUPTA, LANGARA STUDENT

proper training to be a safe driver.”
As a result of these changes many
young drivers have seen an increase
in their premiums. “We understand
that it can certainly be a challenge
for anybody who’s just starting out,”
Linsangan said.

Driving schools represent an
additional investment of over
$1,200 in the case of one instruc-
tor, Ahad Vakili. Vakili teaches
At the West End Driving School

in Vancouver and said that he has
seen a drop in driving students
since 2003 when ICBC regula-
tions changed to no longer allow a
learners knowledge test and behind
the wheel test to be within a day of
each other. Vakili said, “if the youth

wants to get their license it takes

three years... it’s a slowdown of the
system”.

Adding another financial barrier
for students entering job markets
has adverse effects for Langara
College and other educational insti-
tutions pressed to come up with
employment statistics.

Special youth

2
a

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wet

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oA

After graduating many students are struggling to find employment if they do

edition

not have a drivers licence. GivA ROGERS PHOTO