Ottawa Transit Riders / Le groupe des usagers de transport en commun d'Ottawa

The Ottawa Transit Riders supports ParaParity – a subcommittee of transit riders fighting for accessibility in Ottawa.

In September 2023, we invited city councillors to a Para Awareness event where we presented seven simple, cheap improvements to Para Transpo. These aren’t the most important demands, they are basic common-sense baby steps towards respecting the people who use accessible transit.

Last year, we held a Para Transpo challenge, asking city councillors to ride Para Transpo with an ambassador.

So how is all the advocacy working?

We asked people who use Para Transpo to complete a short survey. Results will be posted shortly.

Alt text for image: The logo of Para Parity are silhouettes of two red buses and the words Para Parity. The seven demands are:

Offer same day booking / on-demand booking

Provide 24-hour booking and service

Be flexible with cancellations

Coordinate how riders / dispatchers choose destination and pick-up locations

Ensure that Presto readers on new buses are accessible to riders

Conduct a planning session with first responders and Para Transpo riders to discuss evacuation options

Communicate alternatives when elevators are out-of-service