Para Transpo users report delays, cancellations over holidays

People who depend on Para Transpo to get around say the holidays have made the troubled bus service even slower.

"Everything is taking longer than before and before it was bad," said Sally Thomas, who uses Para Transpo and is an advocate for other riders.

Thomas was diagnosed at birth with spina bifida, a condition in which the spine does not fully develop. She hasn't lether disability slow her down sheseta national record in power lifting and represented Canada at both the 2004 and 2008 Paralympic Games.

She says Para Transpo hasbeen a source of constant anxiety, with delaysor cancelled buses. As well, the only way to currently book a bus is by phone, leaving riders sometimes waitingon the line for more than an hour.

These days, she's thinkingabout the folks who may be stuck at home during the holidays.

'Unless you can drive me, I can't go'

Kyle Humphrey said that almost happened to him this week.

"My friend invited me over for Christmas dinner," said Humphrey, who like Thomas also uses a wheelchair. "And I had to tell her, unless you can drive me, I can't go."

Humphrey said the friend did pick him up, but said that anyone who uses a much-heavier power wheelchair wouldn't havethat luxury.

He saidusing Para Transpo means he can only work if he can plan his transportation at least 24 hours in advance. That's led him to be late for hisjob with the Ottawa Senators, Humphrey said.

Users hope new system will fix things

The service has been short more than 30 drivers over the last year, and the city has been training new drivers to begin early in 2020.

OC Transpo has also committed millions to boost service and invest in anonline booking service due by the end of next year.

In the meantime, OC Transpo hopes to introduce an interimsystem that will let users book online although someone with the city will have to manually enter those bookings.

Testing is expected to begin betweenChristmas and New Year's Day.

"We remain on track with that plan," said a statement from Pat Scrimgeour, director of transit customer systems and planning.

However, John Redins of Ottawa Transit Riders said a recent informal poll of users on its Facebook page suggestedno one hadbeen contacted to take part.

Coun. Riley Brockington, who sits on the city's transit commission, also said he hadn't heard about the start date for the pilot project.

Still, he hopes it will ease some of the problems.

"People who need to use Para Transpo service should be able to have the same quality of service as people who use the LRT," said Brockington.

"Service can't discriminate based on mobility."