Hamilton, GO transit anticipating service reduction due to COVID-related staff shortages

Hamilton's public transit provider is considering temporarilylimitingits bus service as it struggles to maintain staffing levels.

The HSRhas so far managed to avoid disruptions amid a spikein COVID-19 cases and is continuing to see "fairly reduced ridership" on most routes which has avoided "significant crowding issues," said Jason Thorne,the city's general manager of planning and economic development.

But the number of staff away from work has risen in the past few days and that could have an impact.

"I anticipate that in the weeks to come we are going to have to look at schedule adjustments to deal with some of the staff absenteeism,"Thornesaid Tuesday.

The trimmed-down servicewould likely resemble what was seen in the fall, he said.

Thorne added that the focus will be on ensuring riders will still have a "predictable and reliable schedule" that will make it possible to plan trips even if buses won't be arriving as often.

GO Transit reducing trips, too

Metrolinx is also looking at schedule changes, citing staff absenteeism due to the Omicron variant as the reason.

Several GO train trips were already cancelled over the holidays.

"Our frontline teams are now averaging 20-30% fewer staff each day," spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins wrote in an email.

"To protect our most critical services and provide a level of service customers can depend on, we are planning new temporarily, reduced train and bus schedules."

Aikins said the cancellations will be spread across all seven transit corridors and bus schedules, though she could not provide specifics for Hamilton until the new schedules are completed.

Cancelled trains will not be replaced by buses, she added. "Every part of our business is impacted by high absenteeism."

Aikins said thechanges in service will be shared once they're finalized.