 Public transit fee referendum rejected.

Members of Mexicali’s Citizen Participation Council voted Wednesday against the petition to hold a referendum to confirm or reject a bus fee increase approved by city council members in 2014, according to media reports.

Council trustees based their votes on the proponent’s lack of sufficient signatures included in the petition, La Crónica newspaper reported Thursday.

The petition was filed in Feb. 2015, by the Mexicali Student Front, whose members are mostly law students.

Front members filed an injunction request in federal court against the decision and a federal judge ruled against the city in March.

The Mexican judge determined the city had to hear petitioners and vote once again for the matter by following due process.

The newspaper said the Front was not notified of the voting hearing held Wednesday.

City officials explained that neither the judge’s decision nor the local ordinances include such requirement.

State Elections Board representative Rodrigo Martínez said the lack of notification to the impacted party should have been part of the resolution to deny the referendum.

In a letter filed with the city a Front member requested 60 days to solve any issues regarding the signatures included in the petition.