Moderator: Karen Cameron, Ontario Public Transit Association
Speakers:
- Jessica Gillies, Durham Region Transit
- David Magiotta, Durham Region Transit
Since its inception in 2006, the Durham Region Transit Commission delivered transit service to residents of the Region of Durham internally and through contractors for both Specialized and Conventional transit services. In 2022, Durham Region Transit Commission and Unifor Local 222 negotiated a new collective agreement which resulted in OnDemand service (which includes Specialized Services) being fully contracted out by an external vendor and Scheduled services (Conventional) to be delivered by internal staff only. The Service Delivery Model Project managed all aspects of the transition including the winding down of the current contract with the external vendor delivering scheduled service, preparing DRT to deliver all scheduled services by January 1, 2024, and the ramping up of capacity of the vendor delivering OnDemand Service. The wind-up and wind-down plan was impacted by considerations for the hiring, training, and supervision of operators and other support roles. There were also important considerations for vehicles, service levels and the contractor management approach.
DRT will share their experience implementing this transition including some of the strategies they started with, some challenges they encountered and where they needed to pivot. Join Jessica Gillies and David Margiotta as they explain their process and what the next steps look like.
