Cochrane On-demand Local Transit (COLT) is experiencing a shortage of drivers at the moment.
The local public transit service celebrated its third anniversary this week and the launch of the new commuter service in partnership with Southland Transportation’s On-It transit system earlier this summer. But according to the COLT website, there is an ongoing shortage of drivers, which has impacted service availability.
“Due to ongoing driver shortages, we are experiencing a high rate of failed searches. We apolog[ize] for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience,” the site read.
In order to determine how the driver shortage would affect riders, on Oct. 5, a reporter from The Eagle attempted to use the transit system to make a round-trip from the newspaper’s office to Mitford Park.
The trip was booked for 12:40 p.m. but the reporter received a notification about a possible 19-minute delay. The ride started at 12:48 p.m.
After a 10-minute ride with three other passengers departing before the reporter, he arrived at the destination around 1 p.m.
The driver informed the reporter the chances of getting a ride back were around five per cent, so he needed to spend time in the area before booking the next bus back.
The next booking listed on the Ride COLT app listed the next available ride at 2:30 p.m. It was ultimatey faster for the reporter to spend an hour in Mitford Park and the surrounding area, and return to the Eagle office via a 25-minute walk.
In communication from COLT after contacting them via their website, Mitchell Hamm, Director of Community Services for the Town of Cochrane, elaborated on the shortage.
“Due to the lasting effects of COVID-19, there is an industry-wide shortage of bus drivers, affecting provinces across Canada,” Hamm wrote, adding that if anyone is interested in driving for COLT to please contact Southland Transportation at 403-932-7100.
“We are working hard to actively recruit and train drivers to fill routes.”
Hamm outlined COLT’s goal is to provide a safe and reliable public transit service, meet Cochrane’s environmental transportation goals, and provide more affordable transportation options for Cochranites.
“We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to address the issue at hand,” Hamm wrote.
The Cochrane Eagle reached out to but was unable to get a comment from the operations manager for Southland Transportation.
