City of Ottawa Accessibility Spotlight

New for the 2018 Municipal Elections Para Transpo customers can reserve their trip to and from a voting place 48 hours in advance. Contact Para Transpo at 613-741-4390 for more information or call 613-244-7272 to book your trip.

OC Transpo’s interior and exterior bus announcement systems improve transit accessibility for everyone – and they work better with your help

It has been more than a year since OC Transpo launched its exterior bus announcements and for many customers this new technology has positively transformed their transit-riding experience. Generated from a speaker located outside the front door, OC Transpo buses automatically and audibly announce, in both official languages, the same information seen on the bus destination sign – namely, the route and destination of the bus at the stop. "When there were no exterior bus announcements, I often depended on other people at the stop to tell me when my bus arrived," said Kim Kilpatrick, one of several stakeholders and community members who worked collaboratively with OC Transpo on the introduction of the announcements. "But, since the exterior announcements began, I now listen for the tone and the announcement, and know that I am boarding the right bus. It has made taking the bus much less stressful." For OC Transpo, the implementation of exterior bus announcements was the next logical phase in the evolution of its stop announcement system. In 2011, the transit agency completed the installation of the interior next-stop announcements on all of its buses, which proved to be universally beneficial to all customers – whether one was partially sighted or blind, unable to gaze out a window due to frost buildup, or immersed in an interesting book. However, as with any technology, there are times when the interior or exterior announcements unexpectedly stop working. In these instances, OC Transpo looks to its Operators and its customers to let them know. "Our stop announcement systems are not perfect. There are times when the technology unexpectedly malfunctions, such as when a speaker needs to be replaced or when the bus location is not tracking properly" said David Pepper, OC Transpo’s Manager of Customer Services. "If customers notice that the system is not working or not loud enough, we encourage them to let the Operator know. With all the activity on the bus, the Operator may not have noticed, so pointing it out will alert them to the problem. And, if customers don’t feel comfortable speaking to the Operator, we ask them to please contact OC Transpo – noting the bus route, destination, time, direction and, if possible, the bus number."      Once an Operator or customer reports a problem with the interior or exterior announcements system, that information is provided to OC Transpo staff, who then investigate and make the necessary repairs to the equipment or the tracking system. These repairs ensure that all customers, of all abilities, get the information they need when riding the bus. To report an issue with a bus’s exterior or interior announcements, or any other transit accessibility feature, customers may contact OC Transpo Customer Relations at 613-741-4390 (TTY 613-741-5280), or fill in an online feedback form at octranspo.com.

Accessibility Advisory Committee

Beginning in November, the City of Ottawa will be recruiting residents to serve on the Accessibility Advisory Committee. The mandate of the Accessibility Advisory Committee is to fulfill the duties of a Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee as outlined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and to provide advice to Council on programs, policies and services provided to persons with disabilities and seniors. Make a difference in your community by becoming a volunteer member. The City could greatly benefit from your expertise and knowledge. For more information: contact Carole Legault at 613-580-2424, ext. 28934, (TTY: 613-580-2401) or by email at committees@ottawa.ca.