Special messaging could soon be removed from city buses

The days of special messaging on digital bus signs could soon be coming to an end.

A Winnipeg Transit report submitted to City Hall says that it will discontinue the use of promotional messaging and instead focus on the primary function of digital bus signs.

Some examples of promotional messages include:

• Facemasks Recommended
• Lest We Forget
• Go Bombers Go!
• Go Jets Go!
• Grey Cup Champs
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
• Transit Employee Appreciation Day
• Free Ride on NYE

Transit was asked to complete the report back in the fall to look at ways to expand that messaging and include display greetings for other major cultural holidays and other important dates.

But after consultation with Winnipeg Transit’s new accessibility co-ordinator, there was concern about customers receiving information in a timely manner when trying to catch a bus.

“This delay can cause anxiety and frustration for customers trying to make split-second decisions about which bus to take,” the report says.

It takes 2.5 seconds for the signage to cycle through an individual message, including route, destination, and the promotional messaging.

The report will be reviewed at the next Public Works committee meeting on January 30.