Although a tentative deal has been reached to end the public transit strike, the first buses won't start rolling again until Feb. 9. It will take 10 weeks for all regular routes to return to full service and express routes won't be up and running until at least April.

The O-Train, which is serviced by Bombardier instead of OC Transpo mechanics, will be up and running on Monday.

The city says about half the fleet of 1,000 buses will be ready to roll on the first day of service. The rest of the buses will be delayed due to necessary repairs and recertification.

The buses that are operational will also run at a reduced schedule. Only a few selected routes will be in service during the weekday rush hours. December bus passes will be honoured throughout February, and service will be free on weekends in February.

Those who depend on express routes, however, will not see full bus service in their neighbourhoods for months. While the city says express buses will be gradually added to the fleet, full rush-hour service may not return for 14 weeks.

"As we get more buses coming (online) we will start filling in the peak," said Alain Mercier, OC Transpo's director.

But Amalgamated Transit Union President Andr� Cornellier said unionized mechanics are prepared to work immediately on Saturday, but have been rebuffed by management.

"Shame on OC Transpo and shame on anybody that wants to believe that," Cornellier told CTV Ottawa.

City ratifies deal, ATU holds vote

Ottawa city council voted 17-0 Friday to ratify the tentative agreement, which will end the public transit strike by sending the labour dispute to a federal arbitrator.

The ATU still needs to ratify the agreement and is scheduled to vote on the issue at 9 a.m. Saturday.

If the deal is approved, all issues - including the contentious scheduling question - will be unconditionally sent to arbitration.

The city will also continue to seek regulatory changes from Transport Canada on work and rest rules.

In the meantime, striking transit workers returned to the picket line outside OC Transpo headquarters Friday morning.

Deal comes after threat of back-to-work order

The agreement between the two sides comes after federal Labour Minister Rona Ambrose threatened to introduce back-to-work legislation to end the strike -- which would have also resulted in binding arbitration.

An emergency debate in the House of Commons scheduled for Thursday night was cancelled after the deal was announced late in the afternoon.

More than 2,300 OC Transpo bus drivers, dispatchers and mechanics walked off the job Dec. 10. They had been working without a contract since April.

The City of Ottawa saved about $5.2 million during the strike. But Ian Lee, the director of Carleton University's Sprott School of Business, estimates Ottawa commuters spent $97 million on gas and parking.

Cornellier was unrepentant in defending the strike during an interview with CTV Ottawa on Friday.

"We believe the strike was worth it," Cornellier said.

"I'm sorry on behalf of my membership and the union that the city council and the mayor took it upon themselves to try and break this union, instead of trying to provide services to the people of Ottawa. So shame on them."

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kate Eggins