Transit service for several routes through Delta is going to be reduced further or temporarily cancelled by TransLink.
Staring last week, TransLink implemented further suspensions across the bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express networks due to low ridership.
“Given the extent of transit service suspensions across our network, we ask customers to only travel on transit if necessary, so space remains available for our essential service workers,” TransLink states.
“We understand these suspensions will have an impact on customers, but they are a necessary measure to maintain service on critical corridors. Temporary bus route suspensions have been prioritized to minimize disruptions on the transit system.”
Eighteen bus routes were suspended as of last Friday, while in Mid-May an additional 47 routes will be suspended and frequency reduced on all remaining routes.
Among those to be suspended in mid-May are the 391, 602, 603, 604, 606, 608, 614, 616, 617, 618 and 619 routes.
The exact time of the suspensions still have to be announced.
Mayor George Harvie at last week’s virtual town hall commented on TransLink’s challenges.
“Translink is bleeding money - $27 million a month. Even if they laid off every single person who works for Translink that would still mean close to a loss of $25 million per month and that is because of their fixed cost. The bus services are being reduced – they have already announced that. My priority as mayor is to ensure that we bus services continuing to feed into our hospitals,” he said.
“So in North Delta there will be a reduction of buses as well as South Delta. I think it will be down to 20 per cent of previous ridership as far as buses. It is a very tough time right now. Services at Translink are suffering. I really feel for the layoffs they are going through, but there is just no revenue coming in.”
TransLink notes that due to the rapidly changing landscape caused by COVID-19, changes may not reflected in its Trip Planner, Google Transit and other third party trip planning apps.
Those tools will be updated as quickly as possible.
In the interim, for assistance planning an alternative trip for a cancelled route, people can connect with one of TransLink’s customer information agents via Live Chat or call 604-953-3333.
