By Naomi Johnson and Paul Pimentel
OC Transpo has been trying to increase ridership over the last few months. This being the international year of the older person, many of those efforts have focused on senior citizens.
For instance, it has cut the price of a monthly bus pass for seniors and is phasing in new lower-floored buses. Not only is this last initiative good for seniors, as it makes the system more accessible, it also saves OC Transpo money. The newer buses have lower maintenance costs, and the fact that they have no stairs means fewer boarding delays and faster service for everyone.
Against this backdrop come reports that some seniors are allegedly abusing the transit system – more specifically Para Transpo, OC Transpo’s door-to-door service for people with disabilities. Seniors make up the majority of the 60 per cent of Para Transpo riders who are able to walk, and with a round trip costing taxpayers about $40, it makes sense to encourage those seniors who can, to utilize regular public transit.
But while encouraging seniors to become regular patrons of OC Transpo, one must take into consideration the physical and attitudinal barriers they face in the public transit system.
First, with snow only a few weeks away, seniors may find themselves having to climb over substantial roadside snow banks, in order to board the bus. This is no small feat for any user of public transit.
Also, while the new buses have lower floors, they have fewer seats near the front and giant wheel covers to navigate around. This will exacerbate the fact that some Transpo riders are a little less than courteous toward seniors when it comes to priority seating. They are often left to stand on crowded buses while riders who are more mobile, take up the seats at the front. It’s alarming to see the elderly clinging to a pole at the back of the bus.
Third, how many times have we seen seniors running to catch the bus only to be met with a closed door and a driver’s foot on the gas pedal? Too many times to count.
In order to successfully entice more seniors into the public transit system, everyone in the community will have to do their part. The region must do a better job of clearing the snow banks near bus stops – even clearing a small path in front of the bus stop would be a considerable help. The community in general needs to show a little more courtesy toward seniors on public transit, and offer to give up that seat when an elderly person boards the bus. Finally, OC Transpo drivers need to show a little more patience, and wait that extra few seconds to allow an elderly person, or anyone else, to catch the bus.