The people on the bus Free Press photographer Mike Deal talked to Winnipeg Transit users about their experiences with the city’s public transportation system In Transit
By: Mike Deal Posted: 3:00 AM CST Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023

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This article was published 26/12/2023 (991 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Free Press photojournalist Mike Deal spoke with Winnipeg Transit users about their experiences using the bus.

While some say the service offers a smooth ride with little hiccups, others believe improvements can be made to the system.

Read on to hear from users riding on different routes, at different times, and differing frequencies.

Thiago Baltus

Thiago Baltus lives near Osborne Village and uses the bus every day. His commute time is about an hour.

Baltus likes the monthly bus pass as it has no limits.

He believes the transit information system is easily accessible, but wished there was more information provided when buses are delayed.

Gurman Singh

Gurman Singh lives in the Maples area and buses to the Red River Polytech downtown campus, about a 20-minute ride.

Singh says Transit operators are usually nice.

“Sometimes if I’ve forgotten to load my Peggo card, they are always friendly and they just say, ‘hop in, take a seat.'”

One of the strangest things he witnessed occurred recently.

“There was a lady, it was about a month ago, she was totally naked. She came onto the bus with no clothing on and she went to the back of the bus and she just stood there. The bus operator had to stop the bus and we had to wait for another bus, it took about half an hour.”

Dale Ferguson

Dale Ferguson lives in the Mathers neighbourhood.

He is blind so he relies on the bus to take him most places.

He goes to the downtown YMCA every day, which requires a transfer but takes less than half an hour. “Since I use Transit a lot, I know bus drivers are dealing with a lot of serious stuff.”

Ferguson says Transit runs fairly well, but there are a few things he finds frustrating, “like what we are seeing here,” pointing to the bus-stop shelter that is mostly filled with a tent and homeless people. “Especially at Polo Park, and old people are standing outside in really cold weather and can’t get in out of the wind.”

He often notices people getting on the bus without paying, wishes more people would give up their seats for older passengers and wants security on buses.

He says he’s had some weird experiences riding the bus: “I was just getting on the bus and a lady from inside the bus jumped up and kicked me in the chest and knocked me onto the sidewalk. I didn’t see her coming and she kind of grabbed one of the bars on the bus and jumped up and kicked me in the chest. I fell back on to the sidewalk on my back, I wasn’t seriously hurt.”

Bikramjeet Brar

Bikramjeet Brar lives in the Amber Trails area and usually rides the bus every day when he is going to school, which takes about 45 minutes.

Brar says the system is easily accessible. Sometimes he sees people getting a little aggressive on the bus, but they leave him alone.

He believes drivers should be paid more because they have a dangerous job.

Nida Kipling

Nida Kipling lives in the Elmwood area and takes the bus every second day to go downtown.

Kipling says, “The 45 bus is a sh—ty bus route, it’s always late. From it not being on time, it usually takes me a good 30 minutes.”

Kipling said she sometimes sees an odd occurrence but for the most part it’s just normal people on the bus.

“Sometimes, people talk to themselves, people hallucinating, that’s about it.”

Richard Murdock

Richard Murdock lives downtown and uses the bus about twice a week but prefers to walk.

Murdock says the system runs fine and has had no bad experiences.

Jessie Wolchock

Jessie Wolchock lives in Seven Oaks and takes the bus to go to school at Red River Polytech’s downtown campus.

She says it’s affordable especially with the subsidized WINNpass option.

“I have always taken the bus since I was 12.”

She says the bus service is reliable, but many shelters are in disrepair.

If she could change one thing, it would be to fix shelters in order to protect people from the cold.

Daniel Kimball

Daniel Kimball lives in North Kildonan and started to take the bus more frequently about three years ago.

Kimball says, “A woman that lives in my building, she complains about the bus being late all the time, I personally never have a problem with it. Last time I took a bus was 40 years ago, there is a lot of difference between then and now… There’s nothing wrong with the busing system.”

Ivett Esperaza

Ivett Esperaza lives downtown and takes the bus every day. It only takes her about 15 minutes for her commute.

The bus system is fairly convenient for her. She doesn’t like the bus shelters anymore as they are mostly inaccessible because homeless people are using them.

“It used to be nice, we used to be able to wait inside and it was nice and warm, but now, no.”

Mike Deal
Photojournalist

Mike Deal started freelancing for the Winnipeg Free Press in 1997. Three years later, he landed a part-time job as a night photo desk editor.

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