Information on the 2012 Employer Pass

EPP Passes are automatically renewed each year.  The 2012 renewal passes will be available for pick-up from the Carding Office in the UBC Bookstore as of 12:00 noon on Wednesday, December 21, 2011.

You will be required to bring a piece of photo ID when you come to collect your pass.

Information on the 2011 Employer Pass

EPP Terms and Conditions have been updated. Important information has been sent to EPP program members who registered prior to May 1, 2011. Please read this document.

The Employer Pass Program (EPP) offers discounted, non-transferable transit passes to all UBC employees, including UBC staff and faculty, AMS, VST, Web CT, TRIUMF, Rick Hansen Institute, FPInnovations, and Regent College employees. Monthly payments are handled by UBC and made through automatic payroll deduction. EPP offers approximately a 15% discount compared to the cost of purchasing a standard monthly transit pass. Employees must be able to make payments for 12 consecutive months in order to participate. Early withdrawal from the program requires a fee equal to the savings from having participated in the program.

There are two types of passes:

• Conventional transit pass – valid on all buses, SkyTrain, and SeaBus
• West Coast Express pass – valid on the West Coast Express as well as conventional transit services

The pass is a transit card that acts exactly like a regular transit pass. However, passes are renewed only once a year, so users do not need to buy a pass every month. You only need to renew your pass in December every year in order to continue the program. The pass is personalized with your employer and name, and is therefore non-transferable. Passes no longer have the pass holder’s picture. Because there is no photo, pass holders are required to carry photo I.D. when using it.

Look through the following sections and if you still have questions, feel free to contact Transportation Planning @ (604) 827-5252 or by email.

How much does it cost?

EPP users save approximately 15% off the regular transit pass price. However, to receive this discount the pass holder must commit to the program for a minimum of 12 consecutive months. Payments are deducted one month in advance of use from the employee’s paycheck and split into each paycheque. For example, if you have a one-zone employer pass, $35.25 will be deducted from each paycheck, totaling $70.50 per month.

Further savings are available through the federal transit tax credit.

Enrolment information

How do I sign up?

1. Obtain an EPP Enrolment Form from the Carding Office at the UBC Bookstore or click here to download and print one out.
2. Submit the completed form and a $15 administration fee (cheque only, payable to “UBC”) to the Carding Office at the UBC Bookstore located at the corner of University Boulevard and East Mall. Applicants who have previously paid this fee and have been enrolled in EPP at UBC or through another employer still need to pay the administration fee. Note: all EPP applications must be received by 3 pm on the day of the deadline.
3. Pick up your EPP pass at the UBC Carding Office once the UBC EPP Administrator has notified you that your pass is available.

Renewal information

EPP (Employer Pass Program) bus passes expire every December 31st. New passes will be issued at the end of the year. Although your pass is only valid until December 31, your participation in the program will continue automatically.

Email notification to all current Employer Pass holders regarding the pass renewal procedures will be sent in late November to early December. If you do not receive a notification or do not have an e-mail address, please keep checking this website for pass renewal updates or contact Transportation Planning for further details.

End of the year Renewal procedure

• Bring your old Employer Pass to be exchanged for the new pass to the UBC Carding Office. Please be prepared to provide your Employee ID# (7-digit UBC, AMS, WebCT, Rick Hansen Institute or Regent College) and up-to-date contact details in order to verify or update our records.

• If you are unable to exchange your Employer Pass in-person, you can have another person pick up your pass on your behalf. In this case, the person will need to provide us with the following in order to pick up your pass:a) a signed letter of proxy authorizing him or her to exchange passes on your behalf.
  b) a piece of their photo ID
  c) your old Employer Pass. Please note, passes WILL NOT be mailed out.

• EPP representatives from AMS/WebCT/VST/Regent College/Rick Hansen Institute may elect to collect your group’s Employer Pass – if so, please contact Transportation Planning to arrange this. Once passes are handed over, Transportation Planning will not accept responsibility for passes not received.

Note: There are no automatic terminations and failure to pick up your 2010 Employer Pass will not mean either that deductions will cease, or that your EPP participation is over.

Direct questions to:
Transportation Planning
604-827-5252
treksec2(NO SPAM)@exchange.ubc.ca

Suspension, Change of Status, & Termination

Suspending your Employer Pass

EPP participants may suspend their passes (for a minimum period of three months) provided that they meet the criteria outlined in the Change Request Form. To suspend your pass:

• Notify the EPP Administrator at the UBC Carding Office, of your intention to suspend your EPP pass by submitting a Change of Request Form as soon as possible. EPP members have the option of suspending their pass in advance. Please contact the EPP Administrator at (604) 827-5252 for more information.
• Complete the Change Request Form and deliver the form to the UBC Carding Office.
• Note: forms must be received before 3:00pm on the day of the deadline.
• When returning from suspension, EPP participants must inform in writing of their intention to return to the program at least one (1) month before they wish to reinstate their pass.

Changing the status of your Employer Pass

If an EPP member moves residence or changes their name and wishes to get an updated pass to reflect this, they must apply for a Change of Status. To change the status of you pass:

• Complete the Change Request Form and fax or deliver the form to the UBC Carding Office.
• Note: forms must be received before 3:00pm on the day of the deadline.
• EPP participants should hang on to their existing pass while the Change of Status is being processed.
• Exchange your EPP pass once the EPP Administrator has notified you that your pass is available. Details about pass pick-up/exchange will be included in the notification. You MUST bring in your old pass in order to receive your new one.

Terminating your Employer Pass

To terminate your pass:

• Notify the EPP Administrator of your intention to terminate EPP by submitting a Change Request Form as soon as possible. EPP members have the option of terminating in advance. Please contact the EPP Administrator at (604) 827-5252 for more information.
• Complete the Change Request Form and deliver the form to the UBC Carding Office. Note: forms must be received before 3:00pm on the day of the deadline. Your pass must be returned a few days after your termination date.
• Optional: complete the Exit Survey and drop it off at the UBC Carding Office.

The EPP pass is the property of TransLink, as such it must be returned or your termination will not be valid. TransLink may commence with legal action directly against the member. In addition, payroll deductions will not be stopped until the pass is returned.

When terminating or suspending your EPP pass, your payroll deductions will be reconciled accordingly, dependent on the actual date chosen to terminate or suspend EPP.

FAQ

Click here for answers to frequently asked questions about the EPP.

Replacing a Lost or Damaged Pass

First of all, try checking with the TransLink Lost Property Office at (604) 682-7887 as a number of passes get turned in there, particularly if they are lost on transit. It can take at least 4 days for passes to find their way to Lost Property. If your pass was lost on campus, you can try going to Campus Security in person at 2133 East Mall (same building as the UBC Bookstore) to see if your pass was turned in there. If your pass has still not been found, there is a $50 replacement fee payable by cheque to “UBC” that must be submitted to the EPP Administrator at Transportation Planning. The Administrator will then contact TransLink with a request for your replacement pass. This pass can usually be delivered to Transportation Planning within 48 hours. Once the pass arrives, the EPP Administrator will notify you via e-mail or phone. Please note that once the replacement process has started it cannot be stopped, nor can you get your $50 back – even if you were to find your pass.