OC Transpo offers safest commuting options

Ottawa – Following on the heels of an awards ceremony honoring OC Transpo drivers who reached 20, 25 and 30 year safe driving milestones, OC Transpo offers a number of additional reasons to take transit. 

A recent American Public Transit Association (APTA) survey found that riding a transit bus is 170 times safer than commuting by automobile. Even with dedicated roadways like the Transitway, buses still use public roadways 85% of the time. Most of this use occurs during the morning and afternoon rush hours when road volumes are at their highest, and traffic collisions are most likely to occur.  

 “Transit operators are true professionals,” said Transportation and Transit Committee Chair, Madeleine Meilleur. “They use safe driving skills effectively to avoid collisions and provide a safer way for passengers to reach their destination. In spite of carrying more passengers and driving more kilometers year after year, the OC Transpo safety record continues to get even better,” she added.  

In the last five years, OC Transpo has increased its total distance driven by 7 million kilometers, or 15%, while ridership has increased 23% from 70 million to 87 million passengers annually. During that same five-year period, accidents have declined steadily, down 25%, and injuries have decreased by 36%. Add to this the fact that OC Transpo has increased both the number of drivers ( up 10%) and the number of buses(up 12%) on the road during the same time frame, and the numbers are truly impressive.  

Reaching safe driving milestones is not easy. In order to qualify, employees must spend at least one thousand accident-free hours on the road each and every year in all kinds of weather and traffic conditions. At last weekend’s Safe Driving Awards Ceremony, one operator celebrated 30 years of safe driving; forty-nine achieved 25 years; and fifty-four received their 20-year award. In all, OC Transpo has close to 400 of its 1430 bus operators who have driven accident-free for more than 20 years.  

The safe driving awards event marked another of the City of Ottawa’s 100 in 200 Campaign initiatives. Every day, the City makes significant investments in the things that matter most to people including: safety, public health, green spaces, public services and public transit. This Campaign highlights the scale and scope of these initiatives, and demonstrates how the City constantly works to make Ottawa a safer and better community for everyone. It runs until Thanksgiving 2003.   
     

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