'People rely on those services': Continued Halifax Transit disruptions becoming a concern for users, councillors
Transit disruptions are becoming more common in Halifax, with late or cancelled ferry and bus routes leading to frustration among riders.
Several Woodside ferry crossing were cancelled Monday morning due to a mechanical issue.
The service was back making its usual crossing of the Halifax Harbour by the afternoon.
“I use transit almost every day. I primarily take the ferry to get to campus,” said NSCC student Hope Campbell.
That’s been getting harder to do for transit riders, like Campbell.
In the last week, Halifax Transit has announced delays because of technical, mechanical and staffing issues.
The lack of reliability is becoming a concern.
“I think it’s terrible. We can’t operate a functioning transit system where there’s so many cancellations because people rely on those services to get to their jobs, to get their kids to school,” said Halifax councillor Patty Cuttell.
Constant cancellations and delays also affects ridership.
“In various studies around the world, multiple times it was shown that that the transit service needs to be reliable, fast and convenient for people,” said Ahsam Habib, a transportation professor at Dalhousie University.
If it’s not, people will find other ways to commute.
“Last year, the population grew by 28,000 people,” said Jennifer L’Esperance, a senior executive director with the province’s Department of Immigration.
And that’s right on track for the province to meet its goal of 2 million residents by 2060.
Cuttell would like the province to help the city prepare its transit system for this type of growth. L’Esperance says they can assist, but not necessarily with dollars.
“If there’s labour needs to support that transportation system, that’s where we can connect them to markets nationally or internationally that would have that labor, those employees that people need.”
To help now, HRM is running a program to attract and train transit operators to keep the buses and ferries running on schedule.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.