Bus drivers rallied against the city’s proposed changes to the Edmonton Transit System, including the possibility of the addition of services like Uber and TappCar to ETS.
This suggestion came after ETS decided to cut over 70 bus routes due to low ridership starting July 2.
“If you have less than, you know, five or six people getting on a bus an hour, and in some cases over a few hour period, we have to make some changes there,” Ward 10 Councillor Michael Walters said. “But how do you protect those five or six people who used that bus before?”
A transit strategy proposes the concept of partnering with a private ride-sharing or taxi company – a concept the local Amalgamated Transit Union is opposed to.
“In four places they actually discuss the privatization using the private ride-share companies and we don’t believe that public funds should be going to support private companies,” ATU Local 569 operations vice president Damir Begovic said.
Peaceful protest by #yeg transit union against integrating taxis @Uber @tapp_car into transit system to replace route cut backs pic.twitter.com/fxEJPaEDzD
— Jeremy Thompson (@JThompsonCTV) June 24, 2017
They are proposing a number of alternatives instead, including dial-a-bus.
“Dial-a-bus used to be used in Edmonton before. It was very efficient,” Begovic said. “These days, St. Albert transit is using it … We think it’s an excellent solution.”
The report is going to the Urban Planning Committee for approval July 5.
With files from Jeremy Thompson
