OC Transpo elevators leaving people stranded

Senior citizen advocates and people with disabilities are crying foul over elevator breakdowns at OC Transpo bus stations.

They say people are stranded because the elevators are broken too often, and sometimes every elevator at a station is broken down.

"It's the elevators always out of order, and then replacing elevators only to have them break down within a month," said Catherine Gardner, who sits on the City of Ottawa's accessibility advisory committee.

"Westboro, Tunney's Pasture, Lincoln Station, Blair, Billings Bridge, they're all constantly breaking down."

Diabetes patient Tom Kucz tried to use the elevator at Smyth bus station in southeast Ottawa this week and once again, it was out of order.

The consistent elevator problems have forced some people to change stations in order to get where they want to go, said Kucz.

"That's what bothers me. As a matter of fact, a gentleman told me that he goes one bus stop further so when he comes back, he goes on the other side where the elevator works," said Kucz.

OC Transpo has advised riders to use that exact solution if an elevator is broken down.

Staff also said OC Transpo is trying to improve service when it comes to the broken down bus station elevators, but it argued Ottawa's climate creates a challenge to keeping outdoor elevators up and running.

OC Transpo has also added information about its elevators in the new cellphone texting system, which is mainly used to update passengers on bus schedules and delays.