Transit Cape Breton rider challenges mayor, council to try it for a week

Two regular riders of Transit Cape Breton, and a third person who gave up on itand bought a car, are challenging municipal leaders to see for themselves what it's like to ride the bus every day.

The three came together for a panel on CBC Cape Breton'sInformation Morningto talk about why they like public transit and what they don't like about the existing service.

Peter Steele, a native of New Waterford who now lives in Whitney Pier, sayshe's found over the years that he doesn'tneed a car most of the time andregularly takesthe bus.

Needs improvement

"It does need a lot of improving because it can be very irregular," Steele says. "I hate the fact that when something breaks down, you'll be waiting at a bus stop and nothing is sent to relieve it."

Steele also says he takes cabs to visit people in the hospital in the evening, because the buses have stopped running.

Steele says transit management needs to keep a closer eye on drivers who don't keep totheir schedules; it needs to beef up certain runs New Waterford, for example where he says the service is so irregular, people are "almost forced not to use the bus."

And maintenance is a ongoing issue with older model buses, he says.

Choosing transit

Retired Cape Breton UniversityprofessorElizabeth Beatonsays she has chosen not to own a car and uses transit to go to the Y daily, fordoctorsappointments, to do shopping and to go to the university.

Butusing transit means adjusting your schedule to suit the buses, she says.

"If you have an appointment at acertaintime,you have to leave an hour and a half early to go on a 20-minute drive."

Sheacknowledgesthe financial restrictions on the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, but believes it'sa false economy not to invest in transit.

'It'salwayssubsidized'

"No city, no municipality in the world has a transit service that pays for itself," she said. "It's always subsidized, but it's a very positive thing. It's an investment."

Sharon Athaof Lingan Roadbecame friends with Peter Steele while riding the bus.

She eventually bought a car because the bus service took too long to get her to work and home again.

She's done research into what happens when a community invests in its transit system and believes it can only benefit CBRM.

"I think it would increase local buying," she said. "We'd attract people, especially Millennialsthat aren't buying cars."

Atha saysusing transit allows people to save money to make investments in their future.

Decision-makers don't know

Steele says one of the problems with the languishing transit system is that the people making decisions about its funding and future don't ride the bus.

"I'm willingto bet there's no one on council in CBRMthat takes transit on a regular basis," he says.

"And I challenge each and every one ofthem, including ourmayor: Take one specific week where you do everything you need to do by transit and see just whatthe rest of the people in this municipality have to deal with."