Taking the stress out of your daily travels

Published on
February 13, 2024
Parking, roads, traffic and transit

Feature story

It’s a typical February morning and you’re getting ready to start your day. You check the Transit app to see when you should leave home. As the bus pulls up to your stop, your trip begins with a tap of your credit card and a smile and hello from your regular bus operator, Aditi.

Aditi, chauffeuse d’autobus, est assise derrière le volant de son autobus d’OC Transpo.

It’s clear that Aditi loves her job. Her enthusiasm is infectious and the pride she takes in performing it is obvious. She waits for you to settle into your seat before she pulls away from the curb, checking her mirrors for other vehicles and making sure no one is running for her bus before she merges back into traffic. Passenger safety is always top of mind for Aditi.

You settle into your seat, stuff your gloves in your pocket and unzip your coat, enjoying the comfortable warmth of the bus. You pull out your book, taking advantage of the commute time to relax. You don’t need to worry about the traffic, that’s Aditi’s job.

After about 30 minutes, you start to hear the “next stop” announcements as you get closer to yours. You smile and wave good-bye to Aditi as you step off the bus to walk the last couple of blocks to your destination. You know you’ll see her again tomorrow for another trip. After all, that’s one of the reasons you take transit, so you can let someone else worry about driving.

If you’re curious about Aditi and wonder what a day in the life of a bus operator is like, you can read all about it.

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