OC Transpo's bus overhaul based on outdated data, audit finds

OC Transpo's "New Ways to Bus" route overhaul last year was built on outdated data with run times that no longer matched reality, the city's auditor general found in a report released Thursday, June 18.

The redesign, which rolled out in April 2025, was "mainly driven by budget considerations," focusing on cutting $10 million in annual operating costs—equivalent to 70,000 fewer service hours per year. But the timing created a trap: run times were last updated using data collected in 2023, and by the time the new routes launched two years later, traffic patterns had shifted. Post-pandemic commuting had changed. Road congestion increased. The LRT remained incomplete.

The audit found that 29 per cent of weekday routes lasting 30 minutes or longer had scheduled run times varying by 10 per cent or more from actual travel times. Of routes reviewed in fall 2025, 86 per cent didn't have enough scheduled time to complete their trips; 14 per cent had too much. Weekday peak service has been "consistently underperforming" reliability targets, while weekend and off-peak service has been closer to target.

OC Transpo has made some adjustments—adding run time to seven routes with the worst on-time performance in winter 2026 and another seven in April. But 35 routes still deviate more than 10 per cent from their scheduled times. The transit authority told the transit committee on June 11 it's analyzing another 22 routes for adjustments in September, though operational constraints have limited how many changes can happen at once.

The broader challenge: the diesel fleet is aging, mechanics are in short supply, and bus breakdowns have piled up. More than half the current buses are at or beyond their 15-year lifespan. OC Transpo is adding zero-emission buses—354 by the end of 2027—but the auditor warned a 1:1 replacement ratio may not be enough given the limited range of electric buses on a single charge.