OC Transpo is being fined for failing to call out bus stops for the second time in less than one year.
The Canadian Transportation Agency fined OC Transpo $12,500 after enforcement officers discovered drivers failed to call out major and requested stops on all its routes. Last summer, the city was also fined $5,000 for failing to call out stops.
In 2007, the transportation agency ordered OC Transpo to call out all stops to help deliver better service to riders with disabilities and vision impairments.
OC Transpo says drivers call out bus stops 80 per cent of the time. However, that's not good enough for those who rely on the announcements.
"I'm not sure where I am and I always (have) that extra stress that no one needs of wondering where I'm at and am I actually going to get to where I need on time," said Terry Green, who is legally blind and relies on OC Transpo to get around.
However, it's not just the visually impaired. Many other riders also depend on the service.
"If windows are frosted or there is rain, it's difficult to see to the front of the bus -- awkward to see where you are," one transit user told CTV Ottawa.
City officials say the only way to guarantee every stop is called out, is by installing an automated system to announce each stop. A system is expected to be installed by the end of the year.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Vanessa Lee
