OC Transpo announces layoffs as ridership continues to stall

Renée Amilcar, OC Transpo’s manager, says transit ridership is not expected to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels for up to a decade.

Published Feb 06, 2024 • 1 minute read

OC Transpo bus. File photo. Photo by Jean Levac /Postmedia

OC Transpo laid off 35 workers Tuesday, saying a continued loss in ridership has created a “permanent gap” in its funding at a time when operating costs are increasing.

A memo from Renée Amilcar, OC Transpo’s manager, says transit ridership is not expected to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels for up to a decade.

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“Based on our current projections, transit ridership is not expected to recover further than 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in the immediate future,” the memo reads, meaning OC Transpo “must adjust as we continue to identify ways of reducing costs.”

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“As a result, we have made the difficult decision to reduce our management and administrative workforce today.”

The layoffs include 25 unionized employees and 10 management staff, the memo says, but did not impact front-line employees, including bus and rail operators, nor mechanics and apprentices.

“We continue to have a need for new operators, mechanics and apprentices in 2024 and are maintaining our efforts to fill these positions,” Amilcar wrote. “These new recruits will replace current front-line employees as they move to other positions, retire, or leave the organization, ensuring we can continue to deliver reliable service.”

More to come…

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