Ottawa's transit crisis: A tale of aging buses and broken promises
Imagine you're driving a car that's over 15 years old, with an engine or transmission that needs replacing every now and then. You take it for maintenance, only to be told it requires 30 to 40 hours of service, and it's suffering from advanced structural deterioration. Now, multiply that by 330, and you have OC Transpo's fleet of city buses, each with a familiar red-and-white logo.
It's no wonder passengers are frustrated. As they returned from the holiday break, they faced longer waits and more cancellations. On a typical day, OC Transpo cancels one out of every 40 buses, but on January 5th, it was a shocking one in 10. These aren't just late buses; they're buses that never even start their routes.
Bus reliability has been a long-standing issue for Ottawa. In 2019, a driver shortage and an unreliable LRT system forced OC Transpo to keep buses on standby, adding to the challenges. Despite hiring more drivers and improving train service, the buses continue to be unreliable.
Month after month, transit officials face the council, admitting they've missed their targets. Often, they blame traffic and construction detours, claiming these issues create a ripple effect, causing drivers to miss their next routes.
However, with cancellations surging, OC Transpo has shifted the focus to a different problem: their aging diesel buses. The electric buses ordered to replace them are nowhere to be seen.
"Everything's coming to a head at once," says Coun. Glen Gower, chair of the transit committee. "When our diesel buses run longer than their lifespan, breakdowns become more complex and take longer to repair. As a result, we have fewer buses on the road than we need."
OC Transpo's fleet consists of 738 buses, but to maintain its regular schedule during peak periods, it needs 520 in operation. Over the first week after the holidays, there were only 467 available on average weekdays.
Noah Vineberg, president of Amalgamated Transit Union 279, representing most drivers and mechanics, believes OC Transpo has overpromised. "We're in a critical situation where everything is converging. A quick solution is impossible; the resources simply aren't there."
So, how old are these buses? Most have a 15-year useful life, but OC Transpo's 330 articulated buses have exceeded that, and its 44 non-articulated D40i models are nearing 20 years of service. This legacy of bulk orders means they're all aging out simultaneously.
Old buses face a multitude of problems. OC Transpo cites Ottawa's severe climate as a factor, causing corrosion and environmental degradation that can lead to electrical issues and engine faults. "The oldest buses are experiencing advanced structural deterioration, often requiring extensive repairs exceeding 30 days," OC Transpo stated.
Buses typically need major components replaced once or twice over their lifetime, but this becomes more frequent after 15 years. These repairs are labor-intensive and time-consuming. Even routine defects become more common as buses age, adding to the mechanics' workload. "It's critical age," says Vineberg.
OC Transpo lacks enough skilled workers to keep up. It needs 180 licensed mechanics but currently has only 140. Vineberg attributes this to underpaying mechanics for too long, leading to retention issues. "Mechanics left for other companies and jobs. Even OC mechanics left for better-paying internal city jobs."
OC Transpo's plan to buy 450 zero-emission buses by 2027, later reduced to 350, has faced repeated delays. Initially expecting 182 electric buses by the end of 2024, they now have only 41 in service. Suppliers have faced supply chain bottlenecks due to COVID disruptions, and the tariff war with the U.S. has driven up costs and made sourcing parts difficult.
"Everything has come together in a perfect storm," says Vineberg. "We're all scrambling to get buses."
OC Transpo ordered 11 used diesel buses to fill gaps and hopes to receive 50 new diesel buses later this year. Vineberg believes this isn't enough, arguing that OC Transpo's focus on electrification left them without a backup plan. "The government's green initiative is a good idea, but we may have jumped too far ahead too soon."
OC Transpo's chief, Charter, believes bus reliability will improve gradually. After the surge of cancellations on January 5th, the numbers did improve, dropping from 800 to 400 by Friday. Charter is confident the replacement buses are on the way, with the electric fleet expected to grow to 110 by March and 234 by year-end.
However, he expects short-term challenges as mechanics undergo training for the new electric fleet, leaving even fewer to repair existing diesel buses. "This winter will be particularly challenging for our customers. I'm hoping for significant service improvement by early summer."
When asked if more money would help, Charter insists it's not a financial issue. "Procuring more buses now wouldn't solve the problem; the decisions have already been made. The actions to improve reliability take time to implement. We need to stay the course, even though it's hard on our customers."
So, what's your take on this transit crisis? Do you think OC Transpo is doing enough to address the issue? Share your thoughts in the comments!
