POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County Public Transit (DCPT) is set to charge all students, including Poughkeepsie Middle and High School students on every bus or run operated by the transit system.
All students, including those in Poughkeepsie, will be charged the regular, reduced rate of 75-cents. City of Poughkeepsie students will no longer ride for free effective July 1.
According to Colleen Pillius, the county’s communications director, “The City of Poughkeepsie School District has a contract with DCPT for the 2018-19 school year which ends on June 30th. While the district chose not to continue the contract through the summer, DCPT has been working with Stan Merritt at the school district and we anticipate the school district will be contracting again for September.”
Several Poughkeepsie residents that attended the city’s YMCA meeting on Wednesday expressed their displeasure with the new charge. One resident said that it is one more way that the government is discriminating against inner-city youths.
Federal regulations prohibit giving free public transit rides for student busing because it is an express responsibility of the school district.
