Councillor wants 'ugly' blue HSR bus window wraps removed

Ward 1 Coun. Aidan Johnson is sick of the "ugly blue film" affixed to the windows of many of Hamilton's city buses and so he is attempting to get rid of it once and for all.

Johnson will move a motion at the Aug. 12 city council meeting to remove the blue wrap from HSR's fleet of buses.

While originally conceived as a vandalism deterrent, the dark blue window-covering film makes it almost impossible to see out of the back windows of a bus.

"I ride the HSR bus every day, and I always have a sinking feeling in my heart when I realize the only spots available are in the back," Johnson said.

"We should be encouraging people to ride the bus, and I think this will help."

In his motion, Johnson says the city's transit department is in the process of removing the film from "a number of buses" right now, and has started a pilot project using a clear anti-vandalism film on about 25 per cent of HSR's fleet of buses.

Should the motion pass, staff would be directed to remove all remaining blue film from all bus windows, continue the pilot project with the clear film, and monitor the impacts of using the clear film, or none at all.

Johnson says he has "asked about the cost" of the project, and is waiting to hear back. He says his "assumption is that it won't be cost-prohibitive."

"We need to encourage more people to ride the HSR, and not create a disincentive," Johnson said. "Looking out the window is one of the pleasures of riding the bus.

"My motion aims to bring that pleasure back."

adam.carter@cbc.ca