As Metrobus struggles to manage record ridership, there isn't enough room for everyone

More people in the St. John's area are taking the bus than ever before and Metrobus is struggling to keep up with demand.

According to Metrobus, ridership during the first eight months of 2023 was 44 per cent higher than the same period in 2019. From January through August, Metrobushad 3,003,297 riders, compared with 2,091,129 over the first eight months of 2019.

Metrobus general manager Judy Powell said ridership patterns are changing, with busier times no longer confined to peak commuting hours.

"We have been hearing from our customers, we're hearing it from our drivers, you know, our call centre staff," she said.

According to Powell, Metrobus was previously seeing 3.1 to 3.2 million rides a year. This year, she said, that number will likely skyrocket to 4.5 million.

Powell said more than 404,000 rides happened on Metrobus in May 2023 an all-time monthly record.

Several riders who spoke to CBC News at the Avalon Mall Metrobus stop on Friday cited overcrowding as a major problem.

Tracey Quilty said she's been taking the bus for a few years, and they've gotten noticeably more crowded this year.

"It's overwhelming. I don't even want to go to work, to be honest with you," she said.

Quilty, who said she has autism, said the overcrowding has been particularly challenging for people with sensory sensitivities

"It's horrible, it really is," she said.

Quilty said her daughter was recently refused service on a Route 1 bus because there was no room.

"It's that bad that you can't even get on the bus. When you enter the bus there isn't even room to stand."

Powell confirmed drivers have had to refuse service due to overcrowding on the bus. Metrobus will be making some minor schedule changes in October to alleviate crowding, she said.

"We are limited what we can do peak time because we have every available bus that we have on the road," she said.

"We're working as fast as we can. There certainly is a lag to be able to respond, but when you have such a rapid ridership increase that's not anticipated it does take time for us to be able to respond to that. We're doing the best we can with the resources that we have."

Metrobus is in budget discussions with the City of St. John's, Powell said, but with lengthy supply delays, additional funding won't solve the overcrowding problem.

"It's a year, year and a half out that you can actually get buses," she said.

"We have every available bus out on the road to be able to meet service demands," she said. "It takes a while to plan for any service improvements beyond our current fleet."

She said funding, procurement and staffing all serve as obstacles to improving system capacity.

Who's riding the bus?

Powell said Metrobus doesn't have solid statistics showing why ridership has increased so much, though she suspects cost of living and fuel prices are major factors. She also pointed to the provincial government's low-income bus pass program, implemented in 2020.

Metrobus is planning an in-depth study to learn more about riders many of whom are newcomers, said Powell. She said the study will inform future service improvementsand the results will be shared publicly.

Gifty Ashirifie, who moved to St. John's from Ghana about three weeks ago, took the bus while job hunting on Friday. Ashirifie said she's been taking the bus ever since she arrived, and so far her experience has been smooth.

"I'm a student, so I'm going to use the bus all the time," she explained.

Dynelle Groves, who was on the way to work, said she's been taking the bus for about eight years, and she enjoys it.

"I don't drive, and cabs are expensive," she added.

Asif Patel, a Memorial University student who was taking the bus to Friday prayers, said he takes the bus most of the time.

The bus schedule can be inconvenient, he said, but its cost-effectiveness makes up for that.

Tyler Morgan, on his way to MUN's St. John's campus, said he's been taking the bus on and off for about five years but he doesn't like it.

"I take the bus completely out of necessity. I can't afford to take a cab everywhere I go," he said.

Morgan said the bus is sometimes so crowded that he walks instead.

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