Transit transition not quite a smooth ride

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This article was published 04/05/2020 (1997 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The number of riders boarding each bus serving Winnipeg Transit’s greatly reduced schedule appeared to vary by route Monday, while riders gave mixed reviews of the changes.

Transit’s switch to an enhanced Saturday service schedule on weekdays took effect Monday, a cut that followed a sudden 72 per cent drop in ridership due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Candace Prior, a grocery store clerk who commutes by bus, said she was forced to wait an extra 40 minutes for a bus to return home from work due to the reduced schedule.

“I was concerned because the Saturday bus schedule is crappy for me… I had to wait 51 minutes after work (instead of 10) to catch (my first) bus to get back,” said Prior.

The essential worker said she imagines it would be difficult for Winnipeg Transit to meet every commuter’s needs.

“I don’t know if more buses is the answer because we all work different schedules,” she said, before joining one other rider on her next bus at Polo Park.

Both Prior and Tammy Wiebe said there were less than 10 passengers on each of the buses they took Monday, making it easy to stay at least two metres away from other passengers, as health officials recommend.

“I have no concerns,” said Wiebe.

Some routes, however, appeared busier. A Free Press reporter spotted at least one bus with about 20 passengers outside City Hall Monday afternoon.

Suzanne, who did not want her last name used, said her bus also had about 20 passengers and it was difficult to keep her distance at times.

“Someone came and sat down right behind me and so I got up and moved,” she said, after adjusting her cloth face mask with gloved hands.

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, which represents Winnipeg Transit drivers, has said regular-sized buses should have no more than 15 passengers at one time, while extended buses should transport a maximum of 25, to ensure social-distancing rules can be followed.

The union says Transit has instructed drivers to report any crowds that exceed that size, but the service has yet to put in a formal limit.

ATU 1505 said it heard reports that at least seven buses exceeded that passenger count at one point Monday morning.

The union had unsuccessfully lobbied the city to cancel the route reduction and a related layoff of 253 drivers, arguing the less frequent service would force more people to ride fewer buses.

“We do have reports from members that are carrying more than 30 passengers on buses, so that is concerning for us,” said Romeo Ignacio, president of ATU Local 1505.

James Van Gerwen, ATU 1505’s vice-president, urged the province or city to set an official maximum limit on the number of people who can ride a bus at one time during the pandemic.

“The province has actually said there should be no more gatherings of more than 10 people and we’re wondering, why is the Transit system exempt from that?” asked Van Gerwen.

Ignacio said he fears the reopening of some stores, restaurant patios and other businesses on Monday, just as Transit routes were reduced, will also lead to more bus use since people suddenly have more places to go.

“It (would be) better to have… extra service, than to risk community transmission (of COVID-19) because you have overcrowding on the bus,” he said.

In a written statement, a Winnipeg Transit spokeswoman stressed the service reduction was needed to cope with Transit’s revenue losses, which had reached about $6 million per month.

Spokeswoman Alissa Clark noted Transit expects the reduced schedule will still allow for social distancing.

“If we start to see overcrowding patterns developing, we will make efforts to adjust the service to spread out the passenger loads,” wrote Clark.

Bus riders are expected to ensure they keep a safe distance from each other, she added.

“If a full bus approaches their stop, passengers should step back and wait for the next bus,” she wrote.

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga