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An effort to have the City of Ottawa take a closer look at private bus service in rural areas has failed on a tie vote at council.
A motion from Rideau-Jock Coun. David Brown asked staff to “evaluate the feasibility of working with private mass transportation providers to supplement rural transit service,” and better link villages such as Richmond and Manotick with key destinations.
Brown got it passed unanimously at council’s agriculture and rural affairs committee last week, but he faced a much tougher fight at a full council meeting on Wednesday.
Though the motion only asked for a review, councillors worried it could open the doors to privatization that could ultimately lead to more expensive fares for rural residents.
“I don’t see how a private contractor can do it cheaper. They wouldn’t be offering a fare of $4.05, that’s for sure,” said River ward Coun. Riley Brockington.
Stittsville Coun. Glen Gower noted that council already passed a motion last year asking staff to examine “opportunities to further leverage” private and not-for-profit transportation service providers. He wondered why council should pass a more prescriptive motion now.
“I think it takes us down a funnel that we don’t have to go down yet in our examination of rural transit,” Gower said.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279 blasted any move toward privatized transit service at last week’s committee meeting, and present Noah Vineberg came to council for the final vote.
He celebrated the 12-12 result, which amounts to a defeat for the motion under council rules.
Value for rural residents
But supporters of Brown’s motion noted that rural villages are underserved by OC Transpo, and argued that the city should at least study whether the private sector can do it better.
“This shouldn’t be an argument of public versus private,” said Orléans East-Cumberland Coun. Matt Luloff. “It should be the best value for taxpayer dollars.”
Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo noted that OC Transpo buses make long journeys to rural villages to begin picking up passengers, during which they are out of service and carry no riders.
“I believe this is a good exercise in seeing how our resources can be more efficiently used,” he said of Brown’s motion.
Farmland in west Ottawa’s community of Richmond in November 2024. It was one of the areas mentioned in Brown’s motion. (Francis Ferland/CBC)
Though the bulk of the motion failed, one section did pass on a separate vote. It would have staff review funding models in rural areas that dictate the levels of taxes residents pay for transit service.
Brown questioned whether rural residents are really getting their money’s worth, since some areas don’t get service at all.
“There are a lot of people who are paying for a service they’re not receiving,” said Osgoode Coun. Isabelle Skalski.