The City of Regina announced Monday afternoon that Regina Transit will now offer free fares for children ages 13 and younger and children that are in the 8th grade.

The expansion comes along with the expansion of Regina transit into the east end’s Aurora Neighbourhood.

“Regina Transit continuously analyzes ridership trends, population and customer requests to expand and improve services,” said Brad Bells, Director of Transit and Fleet.

Beginning this week, kids of that age group will aloud to ride transit for free without having to show any form of I.D. to prove their age or grade.

“We want to make sure transit is convenient and accessible for residents across Regina, and we’re excited to see a new generation of riders get in the habit of choosing an affordable and sustainable way to travel for school, work, shopping or fun,” said Bells.

City Council approved the fare change earlier this year in July, thinking of the decision as a positive step to help alleviate financial barriers for families and encourage transit usage during childhood in the hopes that it’ll become a lifelong habitual practice.

Routes, fares, and schedules can all be found on Regina.ca/transit.