OC Transpo ridership numbers are up

Ridership numbers for O-Train Line 1 and buses are up and e-buses pass the test. 

Transit Commission members were told May 11 that ridership numbers for March 2023 hit 6 million customer-trips. That’s an increase of 1.6 million over March 2022. Conventional bus service delivery also increased to 98 per cent.  

Para Transpo ridership is at 82 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, with 66,200 customer-trips in March 2023, compared to 47,800 in March 2022. On-time performance was at 94 per cent this February. 

Electric performance by e-buses 

Staff also heard some great news about the zero-emission bus (ZEB) pilot project. Operating since February 2022, performance on the first four buses has shown that ZEBs are a viable replacement for traditional diesel buses. 

The e-buses met or surpassed expectations and were regularly able to operate for longer than 10 hours and travel more than 200 kilometres on a single charge. The four e-buses saved the City of Ottawa more than 100,000 litres of diesel fuel and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 280,000 kg.  

Busy 2022 for OC Transpo’s Special Constable Unit  

Staff provided a presentation on OC Transpo’s Special Constable Unit (SCU) that highlighted the roles and responsibilities of the SCU, including their mandate, authority, training, and the ongoing professional development required for officers. The presentation also showcased some key performance indicators tracked during 2022, including 20,377 calls for service, 662 medical calls, and 207 online incident reports. 

Asking what customers want and communicating in real-time

OC Transpo is improving the way we communicate in real-time to customers. OC Transpo is updating the technology used to provide accurate GPS-based predictions of bus arrival times to help customers plan their trips. Additional updates will be made in 2024 to further improve the data available to customers and to enhance service alerts.

OC Transpo has also been working on a customer survey plan that will measure customer sentiment and measure the impact of our initiatives on public trust.

Recommendations from the May 11 Transit Commission meeting will rise to Council on Wednesday, May 24. 

Watch the May 11 Transit Commission meeting Transit Commission meeting.