Parts and labour shortages blamed on COVID-19 pandemic stall LTC bus service improvements
Plans to enhance London Transit bus service next month have been delayed until next year.
In a new report to the London Transit Commission, administration blames a shortage of bus parts and drivers for stalling service improvements on Routes 31 and 34 until at least February 2022.
The routes link Western University to Masonville Place Shopping Mall and the Hyde Park neighbourhood.
Currently, 14 city buses are idled because pandemic-related supply chain issues have impacted parts needed to make repairs.
“The parts required are outstanding, noting in some cases, suppliers are indicating a delivery date of 16 weeks out from date of order,” reads the report.
In addition, five buses are out of service because of a North America-wide shortage of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sensors — the delivery date is unknown.
London Transit has also learned of an impending tire shortage, “shipments will be limited until further notice.”
Meanwhile, staffing issues continue to plague the public transit agency.
Since the beginning of August, 14 new drivers completed their training, but 17 unexpectedly retired.
The average age of the retired drivers was 66, and their decisions are being linked to the worldwide pandemic employment phenomenon dubbed The Great Resignation.
The report concludes, “This compliment level is not sufficient to return to full fall 2019 service levels, nor can it support the frequency improvements on Routes 31 and 34 as planned.”
Hiring efforts are also being thwarted by candidates declining job offers.
“There has been a discernible increase in the number of candidates who complete the entire recruitment process, and then decline the position when it is offered, with most indicating they had chosen to move forward with other opportunities, or to stay with their current employer,” explains the report.
The London Transit Commission will discuss the pandemic’s impacts on service at its Oct. 27 meeting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.