OC Transpo warning riders it does not offer unmarked rideshare services
If you're waiting for an OC Transpo bus, and someone drives up in an unmarked vehicle claiming to be OC Transpo, don't get in the car.
That's the warning from OC Transpo Wednesday. In a pair of tweets, the transit service cautioned riders about unmarked vehicles offering rides at bus stops and transit stations.
"OC Transpo does not pick up passengers in unmarked vehicles, from bus stops or transit stations," it said. "If someone approaches you claiming to be an OC Transpo rideshare service do not enter the vehicle and call the Ottawa Police Services."
A statement attributed to OC Transpo Chief Safety Officer Paul Treboutat says OC Transpo was made aware of comments on social media about suspicious activity.
"OC Transpo is aware of reports on social media of a man in a black sedan claiming to be offering rides on behalf of OC Transpo," the statement says. "Our Special Constables Unit informed the Ottawa Police Service of the posts."
A Reddit post Wednesday morning asked others if they had encountered someone pulling up in a black sedan, claiming to be from the transit service.
The original poster said she was waiting at a stop near Bank Street and Heron Road. The man arrived in a black sedan and said the bus wasn't coming, but he was sent by OC Transpo to offer a ride.
"I declined and he drove off, but the whole encounter seemed off and the bus arrived as scheduled not long afterwards," she wrote. "I reported it to the driver who seemed concerned and said he'd call it in."
She said OC Transpo took her story very seriously and recommended she file a police report.
It's not known how many times this may have happened to others.
Ottawa police did not confirm or deny to CTV News Ottawa whether an investigation was underway.
OC Transpo asked anyone who experiences a similar incident should contact Ottawa police. They also recommended filing an incident report with OC Transpo.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.