Calgary Handibus will continue as Calgary Transit takes over
City's union agrees to take over using same drivers and support staff
Access Calgary Handibus drivers and support staff will join Calgary Transit, continuing to offer its specialized door-to-door service for people with disabilities in the city.
Last fall, Handibus determined its current business model for operating buses was unsustainable and announced the service would be taken over by Calgary Transit. But there was a question about what would happen with staff.
Wednesday, Doug Morgan, director of Calgary Transit, announced ATU Local 583 voted 93 per cent in favour of Handibus operators and support staff joining the City of Calgary.
"We don't see any impact whatsoever as far as additional expenses to bringing this crew over to Calgary Transit," said Morgan. "So we're pretty excited to provide the same level of service plus be more equipped for future demands that are certainly to come as Calgary ages."
Morgan says Access Calgary will still be responsible for raising money for the Handibuses. He said there are currently about 15,000 customers and the service makes more than one million trips a year.