BC Transit apologizes for taking down printed schedules at Victoria bus stops

A BC Transit bus on Douglas Street in Victoria on Sept. 1, 2021. (CTV News).

BC Transit riders may have noticed some temporary changes at bus stops in the Greater Victoria area.

The bus operator removed all printed schedules at bus stops in the Victoria Regional Transit System on Nov. 29, a move that some have said is causing hardship for riders.

BC Transit says it removed the printed schedules because it is facing a driver shortage and did not feel like it could maintain the service levels posted on the schedules.

Instead, the schedules were replaced with posters that directed riders to the BC Transit website for the most up-to-date information.

"Like many public-facing organizations, BC Transit continues to experience temporary labour shortages, which has resulted in the need to, at times, adjust schedules on short notice," said BC Transit in a release Monday.

"This is not a decision BC Transit made lightly, but the organization was in a tough position as we knew we could not achieve the previously set service levels through the month of December," said the company.

BC Transit says that new printed schedules will not be installed at bus stops again until January.

Until then, the company says that a BC Transit Riders Guide – which includes information on routes, schedules, fares, and maps – is still available online and in limited amounts of print forms.

BC Transit plans to distribute the printed Riders Guides to public buildings, including libraries, rec centres and malls.

Travellers who want to request a printed copy of their own can contact the BC Transit customer service line at 250-382-6161 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

"BC Transit sincerely apologizes to riders in the Victoria Regional Transit System who have been negatively affected by the temporary removal of printed schedules at bus stops in the region," said the company Monday.

BC Transit says it's actively looking for new drivers and is taking feedback it received this month into consideration for future decisions.