OC Transpo's on-demand transit test starts in Blackburn Hamlet on Sunday
OC Transpo has announced a launch date for its test project to provide on-demand transit.
Starting Sunday, Feb. 11, OC Transpo riders in Blackburn Hamlet can request a bus at any time between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Sundays and "select holidays".
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
There are limitations to where the on-demand bus can take you. OC Transpo says trips will run between select Route 28 bus stops and to Blair Station and the Gloucester Centre. These on-demand trips will also replace the regular Route 28 service on Sundays and holidays.
Route 28 will run alongside the test buses on Feb. 11 only, as part of the transition. The route will operate as normal on Saturdays and weekdays.
OC Transpo says Blackburn Hamlet was selected for the test pilot because of low transit ridership on Sundays. The transit service says benefits include shorter wait and travel times, shorter walking distances, lower emissions and increased travel options for customers.
Map of the service area for OC Transpo's on-demand bus pilot project in Blackburn Hamlet. (OC Transpo)
Riders can book a trip by calling OC Transpo at 613-560-5000 or by using an on-demand transit rider app, which can be downloaded here. You will not be charged when booking, but will pay for the trip when you board, using a Presto card, credit card, mobile wallet or cash. You can also use a transfer when getting on an on-demand bus.
This is a pilot project that is intended to test how on-demand service would work within the OC Transpo network, city staff say.
On-demand service is one of the 22 strategic initiatives in OC Transpo's five-year roadmap as it seeks to recover from the loss of ridership and customer confidence since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The service will use available Para Transpo minibuses, the cost of which, transit staff say, will be offset by not running the regular Route 28 bus.
Advocates for transit riders with disabilities have been critical of OC Transpo's use of Para Transpo buses to offer on-demand service, given that frequent Para Transpo users have been demanding on-demand service for years. Currently, all Para Transpo trips must be reserved in advance. Para Tranpo users are asked to contact OC Transpo one day before they plan to travel, or up to seven days in advance for holidays.
OC Transpo says customers with disabilities can use the on-demand service. Up to two customers using wheelchairs or other mobility devices are permitted on board on-demand minibuses at one time, but they are responsible for getting to a bus stop to be picked up.
"Although on-demand transit will use Para Transpo minibuses for the demonstration project, there will be no effect on Para Transpo service to customers," OC Transpo says. "The service will only operate on Sundays and select holidays, using Para Transpo minibuses that are not being used due to lower demand for Para Transpo service on those days."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.