By Paige Aarhus
A proposed bylaw that would force bus passengers to give up priority seats has some people scratching their heads.
The bylaw, proposed by OC Transpo, would result in a fine for passengers who refuse to leave their seats for the elderly or disabled if a bus driver asks them to. Security would be called to the bus and a fine would be issued.
OC Transpo currently receives about 10 complaints per month from riders who have been unable to get priority seating on the buses.
Ardyth Elliot, a member of the city’s seniors advisory committee, says for every 10 complaints filed, there are likely 100 people who do not say anything.
“It’s too bad we have to resort to that kind of drastic measure but maybe it will be a wake up call to be used occasionally,” she says.
A senior passenger herself, Elliot says seniors are reluctant to ask another person to leave their seat. Sometimes, she says, they don’t even have the time to ask.
“There’s a concern the driver will take off before they have a chance to approach someone and ask them to move,” she says, which creates a fear of public transit for many seniors.
Elliot says giving more time for passengers to board and exit would alleviate the problem.
The seniors advisory committee passed a motion at a meeting on Nov. 15 requesting bus schedules be slowed down in order to give buses more time for special-needs riders.
“This would mean that the bus drivers won’t feel so rushed,” says Elliot.
“It would give the driver time to put down the ramp for kneeling buses and remove this sense of urgency. That might help the problem better than a bylaw.”
Others are finding problems with how the bylaw would be enforced.
“With something as minor as that I think a bylaw would be a waste,” says David Evans, a bus driver for OC Transpo. “By the time security officers arrive on scene, the situation is usually long over with.”
Evans, who has been a bus driver for six years, says on the rare occasions he has to ask people to leave their seats, they always do. “I’m usually very firm so I haven’t ever had a problem.”
Jeff Doctor, a student at the University of Ottawa, says he thinks the problem is that some passengers are oblivious. “When I’m on the bus I just zone out so if some old lady is looking for a seat, I probably wouldn’t even notice.”
Doctor says he is doubtful transit security would have the time and resources to enforce the bylaw.
“I still ride the O-train for free so I don’t see how they’d be able to fine me if I didn’t give a seat up.”
But Ian Lee, a 20-year-old cook, says it should never get to that point. “I’ve seen other kids ignore old people or pregnant people on the bus, but come on, the dude is 60 and you’re 20. Get your ass out of the seat.”
Lynne McCarney, the chair of the pedestrian and transit committee for Ottawa, says education and advertising campaigns could offer a better solution.
“Also keep in mind that there are a lot of priority seats on each bus,” she says.
“An entire crowd of people wouldn’t refuse to get up. If one person was being an idiot, someone else would probably move.”
Evans says the bylaw would be a result of political procedure rather than common sense.
The bylaw is still in development at OC Transpo, and has not yet been sent to city hall.