Ontario Northland says ridership has returned to pre-pandemic levels
Ontario Northland says ridership is almost back to pre-COVID levels with many of its routes filling up.
"Ridership levels are very much returning to what they were pre-pandemic level,” said Kate Bondett, of Ontario Northland.
“Times like Christmas we are extraordinarily busy and then we have other peak seasons throughout the year."
Bondett said travelling by bus in the north during the winter is different than during the warmer months, but said the ONR has many safety plans and techniques in place.
But with bad weather across the north this time of year, and lack of communication from ONR, some passengers are speaking out.
"We met with a transport and the bus really swayed,” said passenger Vincent Gauthier.
“We ended up touching the guard rail and hitting the snowbank ... Since it affected the wheel, he had to stop. We had to wait for a bus to come from North Bay. I was supposed to get home at 9 p.m. and I didn't get home until after 11."
Jordana Abitbol, another passenger, said communication hasn’t been great in her experiences.
"An email said check if your bus is still running, I called the night before to see but no one was there,” Abitbol said.
“It didn't really say if your bus was running or not. I kind of had to take a risk and go to the bus station to see."
Bondett said these sorts of issues are few and far between, adding that riders’ safety always comes first.
"Drivers are really well trained,” she said.
“If they can remedy the situation, or a mechanical error or something on the bus that maybe other passengers aren't aware of, they try and remedy it themselves. We do try and call for help, and in more serious cases we will send another coach to take passengers where they need to go. We try and make passengers safe and comfortable during that time."
She added that, multiple times a year, each bus is inspected to ensure everyone's safety at all times.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.