Transit will resume in Comox Valley and Campbell River almost two months after a strike halted service in the regions.
BC Transit says handyDART services will resume on Feb. 7, with conventional transit restarting on Feb. 12.
The strike began in the two transit systems on Dec. 15, as the workers were calling for increased wages. The strike ended on Feb. 2 after an agreement was reached by the union members and PWTransit, the company that is contracted by BC Transit to operate buses in the two regions.
However, before service could resume, all buses had to undergo an inspection, cleaning and on road testing. Additionally, BC Transit says the transit operators had to refresh their training to ensure a “safe resumption of service.”
“This is standard procedure when resuming operations after a certain amount of time away from day-to-day service,” BC Transit said in a statement.
After this work, the transit system will be ready to go on Feb. 12, BC Transit says.
“BC Transit, the City of Campbell River and the Comox Valley Regional District want to thank everyone for their patience during the service disruption and look forward to welcoming customers onboard again in the coming days,” BC Transit said.
Laura Brougham
