Charlottetown transit officials say the number of university students using the bus system has more than tripled since all students started paying for passes through their student fees.

Transit system manager Bobby Dunn told CBC News on Wednesday that before the mandatory fee was introduced the buses were averaging about 100 students a day. The number has now grown to between 300 and 400.

"People who kind of live near the campus and never really used it, now parents are phoning and saying, 'Listen, how does the bus work in our area?'"

"Maybe they're only a quarter a mile away or a half a mile, but it's very cold. They are getting on the bus. Before, they used to walk."

Students are still divided on the idea of the U-pass. Many who live outside the greater Charlottetown area say they shouldn't have to pay for a service they can't really use.

The pass costs $25 a semester. The fee for four monthly passes would otherwise cost $200.