A number of local residents are organizing a union for transit riders to support public transit in the Cowichan Valley.
Amanda LaRoche nee Bright, who has relied on transit buses in the region to go shopping, visit friends and to get to other locations since 2013, said the idea of creating a union for local transit riders began to develop during the recent transit strike in the Valley that lasted almost eight months.
“There was hardly any public information about what was going on before the strike began, and riders were only given a week’s notice of it,” she said.
“As well, there are a lot of concerns about how the transit system works around here and we have to try to make it better.”
LaRoche nee Bright said she and a number of other organizers of the transit riders’ union will hold a meeting on transit issues at Island Bagels and Bannock Cafe, located at 48 Station St. in Duncan, on Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. and she encourages as many people as possible who are interested in participating to come.
“We plan to brainstorm ideas, and people will have the opportunity to offer suggestions on how to support better transit in our community,” she said.
“Victoria has a transit union for riders to allow people to share their concerns, and their ideas and concerns are brought to the union and BC Transit in an effort to find ways to deal with the issues. It seems to work well there.”
LaRoche nee Bright said she had a table set up at London Drugs in Duncan on Oct. 6 to provide information to the public on the proposed local union for transit riders, and a lot of people showed interest.
“About 20 people put their names on paper in support of it, and many said they would try to attend the meeting,” she said.
“Life was very difficult for many of us during the strike and we don’t want to see another one. We also want to find ways to increase ridership on the buses so we can get more cars off the road.”
The transit strike in the Cowichan Valley, which was the longest transit strike in B.C.’s history, began on Feb. 8 and ended on Sept. 18 after labour mediator Vince Ready was appointed by the province to act as a special mediator in the labour dispute, and a deal was finally struck that saw the more than 50 strikers go back to work.
