Lakehead University students tired of long bus waits, cancellations call for Thunder Bay transit changes

Students at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., are calling for changes to make the city's bus service more reliable.

More than 500 people have signed an online petition, created by international PhD student Mohit Dudeja, calling for Thunder Bay City Transit to make improvements following an onslaught of complaints about bus delays and cancellations, especially during the winter.

The petition calls for:

Full-time Lakehead students pay more than $225 for a Universal Bus Pass through their ancillary fees. 

"I paid for a whole year bus pass and I would expect it to be a good service," said Miguel Aguilar, an international student from Mexico who's completing his master's in chemical engineering.

Aguilar has been late to work due to sudden bus cancellations and has had to pay for a cab or Uride, which can be costly, he said.

"It's usually a gamble if I'm getting to wherever I want on time."

Members of the Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU) are set to meet with City Transit management this week to discuss students' complaints as the bus operator is coping with staffing shortages and escalating safety concerns.

Students like Victor Clayton say bus delays often have a chain reaction. What would be a 10-minute drive home takes 45 minutes to an hour on the bus, and if one bus is cancelled, Clayton must take a roundabout way that involves three other buses.

Oftentimes, students end up stranded halfway to their destination and left waiting upwards of an hour for the next bus, said Thomas Bentz, who also studies at Lakehead. He said it would be helpful if bus drivers communicated with each other about passengers who need to make a transfer.

"If one bus is pulling up and they're a little bit late, maybe ask the connecting bus to wait a few seconds," Bentz said.

"I feel lucky because I'm able-bodied — I can just walk to where I need to go, even if it takes a long time. There are a lot of people who can't do that."

There are also safety concerns around long waits in cold temperatures, particularly for international students who are adjusting to Canadian winters.

"There have been reports where students mention that they fall sick because they had to wait for a bus for a long time in the winter — there was no shelter," Dudeja said.