A few changes were recently made to the routes of the bus system OC Transpo, which displeased a lot of people. Within Ontario's capital, Ottawa, these changes were made with the intention of creating an efficient bus service that boosts ridership. However, direct protests came from many parents in Ottawa.
Parents argue that the route changes affect school access for children. Many times, children are satisfied for school-and, when the buses change with or are difficult accessing them, they are in a potential negative position, as it relates to learning and character development. Another issue raised by the parents is that of safety since the different routes may cause their kids to alight at different stations from where they would normally be alighting, which would otherwise expose them to more danger.
A gathering of parents with an interest in this issue held a meeting in which they narrated their experiences. A few of the parents were saying that their kids have been getting to school later than usual, but other parents stressed that some kids now have to walk through much busier, unsafe places.
The situation was taken notice of by the principal of a local school, who stated that the school administration was examining the situation as well. In the view of the principal, such OC Transpo route changes complicate the process of going to and from school by students. The principal stated: "We need the safety of the children first. We have to see if we can find some form of solution to deal with this."
Again, there were many calls from parents to the OC Transpo admin team, citing concerns. They were hoping that OC Transpo would listen to their sentiments and make a reconsideration on the route changes. The parents formed an online petition that attracted thousands of signatures.
In this situation, OC Transpo has made a public statement about the amendments. They discussed their reasons with the public and, however, recognized the concerns of parents. OC Transpo articulated an assurance to reconcile the issue with parents and the community in general.
Thus, a meeting is now planned between OC Transpo and the parents' general community and other stakeholders for discussing the matter at hand. This meeting, therefore, goes to prove that OC Transpo is serious with the concerns raised by the community and trying to find an apt solution. Parents are, thus, hopeful their concerns will be taken care of at last and this leads to the safety of children and a solution to possible arising problems.
They tell an incident where once concerns become prime, the community really can come together. It is not merely a transport issue but also a safety and education issue for children. This activism on the part of the parents has really caused OC Transpo to think again about its decisions.
Now it remains to be seen what action OC Transpo will take further depending on how seriously it takes parents' concerns regarding their opinion and whether it will reconsider the route changes. In short, now everyone's eye is on OC Transpo and the probable plans it has to make improvements therein.