Transit troubles continue with Halifax ferries down
Halifax’s ferries are now on reduced service, with both the Woodside and Alderney services now on half-hour schedules.
That means all ferry passengers like Kelsie McKay can do is wait.
“It sucks,” says McKay as she keeps her eye on the time. “It used to go from 15 minutes, now it’s a half-hour.”
A notice from Halifax Transit Monday says the current ferry problems are due to "unforeseen maintenance issues."
According to an email from municipal spokesperson Brynn Budden, the problem is threefold, with one ferry already in for scheduled repairs, leaving no spare when two others experienced their own unrelated mechanical issues.
McKay says it’s been a long time since she was satisfied with the service.
“Years ago, probably before COVID,” she says. “Because COVID put a damper on it, that's for sure.”
Bus service in the city hasn’t been faring any better. There were plenty of delays Tuesday morning after four rush hour traffic accidents caused major backups.
“It’s important to note,” writes Budden after CTV inquired about late buses, “Halifax Transit shares real time data with third party planning apps to show real time arrivals, in an effort to help commuters map their routes accordingly if there are disruptions.”
But late buses aren’t the only complaint among some transit users.
For Amy Redding, who takes the bus several times a day, there are issues around allocating the right resources to the right routes.
“It's always busy like at seven o'clock in the morning when I take my bus,” she says. “And they have the smallest buses, and then when I get off work at four, you have one of those accordion buses, and there's like, five, 10, 15 people on the bus at max.”
Transit satisfaction will be a topic of discussion at Thursday’s meeting of the city’s Transportation Standing Committee, when a non-profit advocacy group called “It’s More Than Buses” will share its findings after asking transit users to share their experiences.
“There are a lot of different challenges,” says District 4 councillor Trish Purdy, who also sits on the committee.
She says she's heard plenty of frustration from constituents affected by service reductions that have been in place at Halifax Transit since February.
“Unfortunately, one resident has resolved that he has to get a car just with the service reductions, it affects his commute,” Purdy says.
She understands staff are doing their best, but adds residents need to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“We should be offering our residents good reliable transit service, and I (do) understand that's it's more complex than meets the eye,” she says.
No one from Halifax Transit was available for an interview with CTV News Tuesday, but according to its website recent improvements to staffing levels means it will introduce four new bus routes and reinstate about one quarter of previously reduced service starting Nov. 20.
It also plans to make “minor schedule adjustments” to 19 routes to improve service.
As for the situation with Halifax’s ferries, Budden couldn’t provide a timeline on when there would be a fix, as she said “technicians and parts” are still being located.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Minnesota grocery store clerk dies after customer impales him with a golf club, police say
A Minneapolis store clerk died after a customer beat him and impaled him with a golf club, police said. The 66-year-old clerk was attacked Friday at the Oak Grove Grocery, a small neighborhood store in a residential area near downtown Minneapolis. A 44-year-old suspect is jailed on suspicion of murder.
B.C. Amber Alert cancelled, 2-month-old child found safe
Mounties in Surrey, B.C., say the two-month-old child who was the subject of an Amber Alert Saturday afternoon has been found safe.
Shohei Ohtani agrees to record $700 million, 10-year contract with Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani has opted to stay in southern California, and the Toronto Blue Jays have missed out on landing a generational talent.
6 dead, nearly 2 dozen injured after severe storms tear through central Tennessee
Severe storms that tore through central Tennessee killed six people Saturday and sent about two dozen to the hospital as homes and businesses were damaged in multiple cities.
A pregnant Texas woman asked a court for permission to get an abortion, despite a ban. What's next?
Kate Cox, a mother of two in Texas, became pregnant again in August but soon after learned devastating news: Her baby has a fatal condition and is likely to either be stillborn or die shortly after birth.
Every phone call is a goodbye, says Vancouver resident with family in Gaza
Omar Mansour says every phone call with his family in the Gaza Strip might be the last.
Mideast ministers in Ottawa to discuss Israel-Hamas war with Joly, Trudeau
A group of foreign ministers from the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are in Ottawa today for a quietly planned meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to discuss attempts to end the Israel-Hamas war.
Ibrahim Ali found guilty of killing 13-year-old girl in B.C.
A jury has found Ibrahim Ali guilty of killing a 13-year-old girl whose body was found in a Burnaby, B.C., park in 2017.
Nuclear fission may play key role in the creation of heavy elements when neutron stars collide: study
New scientific models are suggesting that nuclear fission may play a key role in the creation of heavy elements in the universe—which, if true, would be the first example of nuclear fission occurring in space.