Don't forget about ParaTranspo

The LRT inquiry is happening and several members of the Ottawa Transit Riders have made face-to-face delegations or submitted comments in written form.

If you want to know more, click on this link Ottawa Light Rail Transit Commission 

For general enquiries or to submit any information relevant to the Commission's mandate, please contact [email protected]

Several of the people testifying about how the LRT fiasco affects public transit in Ottawa mentioned that the focus on the LRT has distracted city officials from dealing with other aspects of transit … especially accessible transit. People who use ParaTranspo have a long list of complaints … long waiting times to book, no same-day bookings, a limit on the number of trips people can take per day, dirty buses, noisy buses, curfews on holidays such as New Year’s, etc.

The problem is the LRT sucks up all the attention and resources! Journalists rush to interview people who miss exams because the train got stuck and councillors demand inquiries into the procurement of substandard trains. What about Para Transpo customers who have lost out on job opportunities or missed important medical appointments they’ve waited months to get? Listen to people who use accessible transit!

There’s never been enough capacity for the number of people who need to use this service and the buses currently in service are nearing the end of life, with no indication of a budget or timeline as to replace them. Listen to ParaTranspo users who want same-day booking and extended hours.

Let’s make the system more efficient so people leaving from the same location can share buses rather than use two parallel buses. Let’s be sensible about schedules and booking – if a hockey game goes into overtime, make sure that Para buses wait for their users rather than forcing people to leave a game early.

Yes, we need accountability for the LRT fiasco and yes, we need to improve service on buses throughout the system, but all too often, users of ParaTranspo are told to wait until other issues are addressed. (We’ll get to you eventually).

Enough is enough!

It’s about respect.


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