The 29-day London Transit strike has come to an end. Weekend service will resume on Saturday, December 19th however, full service will not resume until January 4, 2010. In the mean time there will be a modified week-day service beginning on December 21, 2o09. The modified schedule can be viewed on the London Transit website: http://www.ltconline.ca/Routes.htm

The question that many people are asking is, “why can’t service resume immediately?” The answer to this question is simple. Each bus in the LTC’s bus fleet is subject to Ministry of Transportation safety certification twice a year. Currently there are approximately 30 buses with lapsed safety stickers and a further 30 requiring new safety stickers by the end of December 2009. These required inspections are completed by LTC’s licensed mechanics who are returning to work this week. The inspections are in addition to required regular maintenance and servicing, noting certain buses are subject to more extensive maintenance requirements. As the buses are inspected, certified, repaired and cleaned, they will be placed into service. The nature and extent of the work to be completed and the availability of supporting infrastructure to complete the work requires service to be restored in a gradual, on-going basis.

If you purchased a pass for the month of November you will be eligible for a refund, or a credit for the month of January.The refund or credit can be arranged at the downtown ticket office located at 150 Dundas Street or at the 450 Highbury Ave N. office.  Applications for refund or credit will commence Friday, December 18, 2009. Refunds will apply immediately with the purchase of a January 2010 pass, and refund cheques will be processed within 10 business days. If you are in need of a refund application form, one can be obtained from this website:http://www.ltconline.ca/Pubs/PassRefundRequestForm.pdf

The LTC promises to provide free bus services this weekend in attempts to mend relationships with it’s riders. It is estimated that the LTC strike has cost the city an estimated $8 million dollars. The 53-day transit strike in Ottawa cost the city an estimated $8 million dollars a day for a total of $583 million. It can be assumed that because London is much smaller, and less transit-reliant a $2 million dollar daily impact is an appropriate estimation. It is predicted that there will be both long term and short term consequences as a result of the strike. Not only is an increase in fares apparently inevitable, but it will also potentially prove to be a deterrent for potential students, and other people who may have been previously planning to relocate to London. It is also suspected that some riders who have found other methods of travel may not return to using London Transit.

As service slowly returns back to normal, the LTC is requesting that people will respect the drivers and other transit workers despite their feelings surrounding the strike.