OC Transpo offers free-fare weekend as it rolls out route overhaul

Ottawa Citizen

01-05-2025

OC Transpo is welcoming feedback from riders as it offers a free weekend on all buses and trains on May 3 and 4, while it continues to work out some 'glitches' after rolling out a major overhaul of its bus routes.
Article content
Article content
'It's a way to say a huge thank you for your patience, because we have been working hard to improve the service, and it was tough on (the) customers,' said transit service general manager Renée Amilcar in a press conference Thursday at Bayview Station.
Article content
Article content
Amilcar said the free-fare weekend is 'not as much' about compensating riders for frustrating delays and disruptions. 'It's a way to say, this is the new OC Transpo, come and try it, and I'm sure you will love it,' she said.
Article content
Article content
Amilcar acknowledged staff are working out some 'glitches' with the 'New Ways to Bus' launch, and OC Transpo has already heard from some riders who are upset over the large-scale bus route changes that came into effect April 27.
Article content
'First and foremost, we have heard a lot of complaints (over the years) about the reliability — or non-reliability — and we have spent a lot of money, billions of dollars, to build transit here with the LRT,' Amilcar said.
Article content
'Now, we're bringing the buses to the LRT because the LRT doesn't need to deal with traffic. And the service is now reliable, so we know exactly what time (the trains) will come and what time it will be at your destination,' she said. 'It's a change, definitely, and it's hard to accept changes, but (the overhaul is) a good thing and when people use it, I'm sure they will love it.'
Article content
Article content
Amilcar rated the new bus route launch as 'so far, so good.'
Article content
'Absolutely we have anticipated some glitches, and we have to deal with those glitches,' she said. Amilcar encouraged riders to contribute their comments and feedback through OC Transpo's website.
Article content
'We will continue to improve the service, we will continue to listen to our customers and we'll do our best… we are open to any kind of comments that can help us to improve the service,' she said.
Article content
The free-fare weekend will cost OC Transpo about $285,000.
Article content
'For me, it's an investment. Because we have worked very hard to improve the system, we stabilized Line 1 (over the) months and years, we successfully launched Lines 2 and 4 and we implemented New Ways to Bus last Sunday… It's an investment, but it's a good use of taxpayer money, I would say,' Amilcar said.
Article content
She was asked on Thursday why the free fares were limited to one weekend — when service is running on a reduced weekend schedule — instead of the free month OC Transpo offered in December 2021 as an apology for disruptions in train service during that summer.