Community shuts down for storm but Kingston Transit carries on

Letter carriers may get all the credit for not being deterred by bad weather but there are other service providers that also fit in that category.

One of them is Kingston transit drivers.

As the city was being hit by the latest winter storm, with a possibility of up to 40 centimetres of snow, the transit system continues to operate.

Paul Lollar has been driving for the municipal service for five years and says the same rule applies to bus drivers as they do for any motorist on the road.

“The safety of your passengers is first and foremost, (paying) attention to the other people on the road is absolutely critical,” Lollar said.

Lollar says slowing down and leaving more space between himself and the vehicle in front of him is also part of getting through the shift.

Snow banks and parked cars on the road can make negotiating some city streets like a slalom course.

Lollar says some roads can get very narrow with large snowfalls making it difficult to maneuver a 45-foot, 20-tonne bus.

“Cars park further away from the snowbanks and the next thing you know they are literally taking up half your lane,” he said. This adds to the challenge of keeping the bus on time.

In situations where a bus does fall behind, Kingston Transit will put a second bus on the route to mitigate delays for passengers.

Even with those measures in place, with heavy snowfall, some delays will be inevitable.