OC Transpo head apologizes for cancelled bus trips
The head of OC Transpo is apologizing to riders for a higher number of bus trip cancellations this spring as the service deals with a driver shortage.
The city’s transit commission was told 96.7 per cent of scheduled trips were completed between Jan. 1 and May 14 this year, compared to 99.2 per cent during the same period last year.
Transit Services general manager Renee Amilcar told the commission that COVID-19 related absences, attrition rates and new mandatory 30-minute breaks for operators have resulted in a shortage of available bus operators.
"Our customers are currently experiencing a higher number of bus trip cancellations than we would like to see. They are not caused by a lack of available buses, instead due to operator shortages," Amilcar said Wednesday morning.
"I take this opportunity to apologize to our customers and I promise you that we're working very, very hard to resolve this situation."
The Amalgamated Transit Union said last week the "whole schedule is a mess" as OC Transpo implements a mandatory, 30-minute break for every five hours of work for operators. The transit service adjusted schedules as of April 24 as part of the spring service changes to give operators the break.
Amilcar says the Canada Labour Code requirement is "law and we are following it," and OC Transpo is in a "period of transition" while it navigates the schedule changes.
"The implementation of additional breaks demands significant coordination of logistic and resources," Amilcar said. "Throughout this shift, OC Transpo's top priority is to mitigate any effects on routes or service to customers."
OC Transpo will hire up to 200 new operators this year to deal with attrition and expanding service. Council also approved hiring 80 new operators so the transit service could accommodate the 30 minute mandatory breaks for drivers.
Amilcar says since hiring bus operators will "take some time", the transit service is taking the following steps to improve bus service:
- End temporary assignments
- Negotiate delayed retirements
- Minimize leave time
- Efficiencies in work booking process
- Strategic bus and bus operator placement
- Increased operational oversight
- Adjustments to support priority routes
OC Transpo anticipates seven to 10 retirements a month this year.
Ridership remains below expectations
OC Transpo ridership continues to operate below expectations this year as many people continue to work from home.
The Transit Commission was told 3.8 million people used OC Transpo in April, down from the budgeted number of 6.5 million. There were 8.4 million riders using OC Transpo in April 2019.
April's ridership was down from the 4.4 million riders in March, when fares on the O-Train and 15 downtown routes was free.
Here is a look at ridership through the first four months of 2022 (2021 in parenthesis)
- January – 3.2 million (1.7 million)
- February – 3.4 million (2.2 million)
- March – 4.4 million (2.5 million)
- April – 3.8 million (2.2 million)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'