Growing Winnipeg suburbs waiting for the bus, lack of bus drivers the cause: report

At first glance, Castlebury Meadows has all the amenities you’d expect to see in a growing suburb, like fire hydrants, mailboxes, bike paths, sidewalks and streets.

But one major service is missing in the northwest Winnipeg community. There are no bus stops.

Richie Bernardo has lived here since the beginning.

“When we moved here like seven years ago, we’re thinking just give them two years and we’ll have a bus stop here, but no it’s been seven years,” she said.

Bernardo says it’s an inconvenience for her family of four.

“We only have like two cars.” said Bernardo, “I work, my husband works and it’s like shift work. So sometimes my kids call an Uber or you know a taxi to go to school and to go to work.”

Three other newer expanding suburbs are also without bus service. Waterford Green, Aurora, and Prairie Pointe in Waverley West.

A report from transit says some riders are forced to walk 1.5 to 2 kilometres to catch a bus.

The report says while routes have been mapped out as well as costs, transit is facing a driver shortage, which is holding up the plans.

“We can’t get back to 100 per cent transit because we don’t have enough drivers,” said Public Works Chair Janice Lukes.

So based on efforts of a recruitment campaign, the department is hoping bus service can roll out in the neighbourhoods next September.

“We’re working with the trucking industry, we’re working with different cultural groups, we’re putting out posters in different languages.”

The public works committee is set to get recruitment updates in November and in the new year.