After almost eight months out of service due to the transit strike, handyDART services in the Cowichan Valley will return on Monday, Sept. 29.
BC Transit said handyDART customers can begin booking trips for the service immediately.
The handyDART service provides accessible, door-to-door paratransit for people with disabilities.
“BC Transit recognizes the frustrations this labour dispute has caused, and the significant impact it has had on handyDART customers," the transit organization said.
It still has to be determined when both fixed-route local transit service within the Cowichan Valley and inter-regional service to and from Victoria on the Route 66 Cowichan-Victoria Express, and Route 99 Shawnigan Lake-Victoria Express, will begin.
BC Transit said that before those service resume, all buses must undergo a thorough inspection, necessary maintenance work, cleaning and on-road testing for return to service.
“It’s also important for transit operators to refresh their training to ensure a safe resumption of service,” BC Transit said.
“This is the standard procedure when resuming operations after an extended period of time away from day-to-day service.”
More than 50 transit workers in the region hit the picket lines in the Cowichan Valley on Feb. 8 and the labour dispute continued until an agreement between the Unifor union and Transdev Canada, the workers’ employer, was finally reached on Sept. 18.
The transit strike was the longest in B.C.’s history.
For more information about trip planning, schedules and to sign up for customer alerts, visit bctransit.com/cowichan-valley.
