Bus in Kamloops/via Abby Zieverink
BC Transit has confirmed its been forced to temporarily cancel a number of bus routes recently in Kamloops due to a pair of ‘lingering’ issues.
Spokesperson for BC Transit, Jamie Weiss tells NL News the lingering issues are confirmed to be a new wave of COVID, on top of the longer-term issue of recruiting new drivers, has left many waiting for a bus which never shows up.
While they can’t do a lot about drivers getting ill, Weiss says steps are being taken to try to get more drivers on the roads.
(Credit: @Mariagalletosa, Twitter)
“First Transit is on this, they are continuing to recruit and hire operators, in fact we just graduated four more operators, they recently entered service and we anticipate an additional four to six drivers added to the team this month.”
He adds that they try to do their best to minimize disruptions as much as they can by maintaining services during peak hours.
“Cancellations are strategic so we can maintain coverage to all communities in the system so early morning and last service in the evening are prioritized when possible.”
Although if drivers go down, Weiss concedes it leaves them with few options.
“If your bus isn’t there when its supposed to be, that’s all that matters to you, and we understand that’s really hard.”
Weiss encourages bus users to check route alerts regularly, and sign up for route specific email notifications, both of which can be done on BC Transit’s website.
