Halifax Transit is ending bus service to Sambro and its residents aren’t happy about it.
The city made the decision in March 2016 when it revised its Moving Forward Together Plan for overhauling the municipality’s bus system.
As of Aug. 21, Route 402 on the Sambro Loop will be discontinued.
That has forced residents like Brian Shea to voice their frustrations with the plan.
“It’s a terrible idea. I ride the bus every single day for the last three years. There is not another choice for me,” said Shea.
Shea doesn’t drive and takes route 402 into the city every day to work at Neptune Theatre. He says when the service ends it will no longer be financially feasible for him to get to work.
“I have to go to work every day to pay off this mortgage. I am not changing my job here at Neptune and I’m not going to sell my house either,” said Shea.
“There are also other people who can’t drive either. Whether you’re old and 77 and they just took your license away and now you have to come into Halifax to attend doctor’s appointments. Or you’re 14 or 15 years old, you go to school with your friends and you want to hang out after school.”
Low ridership
Despite a petition with hundreds of signatures presented to council, the city decided to cut the route due to low ridership and economics.
“This specific recommendation was on the Sambro route 402 which research demonstrated received low ridership, an average of 25 people per day at a cost of over $60 per rider.”
The city councillor for the area, Stephen Adams, voted against cutting the service and disagrees with the city’s financial assessment. He says the route makes a profit.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a cut in service which also had a cut in revenue,” said Adams.
He calls the 34-kilometre route a necessity for people in the area.
“My opinion is that it is extremely necessary in the Sambro Loop given that there is no other alternative.”
Private solution
The city says it won’t reverse its decision, but Shea and other residents are holding out hope.
“There are 300 buses running around this whole city. We just need one single bus.”
Meanwhile, Adams says he and others are working on a solution when transit service ends. He says a private service is in the works but the financials are yet to be determined.