By Mohamed Adam, Ottawa Citien Op-Ed
...Faced with revenue shortfalls at the fare box — the result of decreasing ridership and consequently deficits — transit companies often respond with fare hikes and service cuts to try to balance the books. It rarely works, but it is a vicious cycle the companies can’t seem to escape.
This is what is happening in Ottawa as OC Transpo struggles to deal with lagging post-pandemic ridership and a mounting deficit. With ridership down 30 per cent since the pandemic, and facing a $49.8-million deficit, OC Transpo has responded with a 2.5 per cent fare increase across the board beginning Jan. 1. It is also cutting 75,000 service hours per year, or about 3.5 per cent of total service.
Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar says the changes are not cost-cutting, but “route optimization,” aimed at building a network that meets customer needs.