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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Deputy mayor Cory Vanthuyne is calling for a four-year transit services contract signed in August to be reviewed by administration because he doesn't think the deal best reflects the needs of users.

"I think (the incoming council) should have had the opportunity to be given all the insight and concerns raised by citizens and users," said Vanthuyne. "I believe that this council has the power to go back to administration and say we want to review that contract."

Vanthuyne was the sole opponent of the deal which saw First Canada formerly Cardinal Coachlines, getting $1.7 million to continue offering transit service for the city for the next four years. This represents a 17 per cent increase from the previous contract signed in 2007.

As part of the August deal, the city purchased a new low-floor bus from First Canada. The bus will be used on a yet-to-be-announced seven-day trial basis sometime this winter in order to see if accessibility can be improved and to see how such buses will fare in Northern weather conditions. Depending on the outcome, administration is planning to review the contract to see what the city's needs are around low-floor buses.

Vanthuyne is skeptical that low-floor buses, although important, are the most pressing transit-related item that residents are calling for.

"The concerns people were raising over the last term had to do with buses showing up on time, buses missing routes altogether, and the city and the contractor not communicating effectively on schedules," said Vanthuyne. "It was more from the standpoint of operational concerns and then some route concerns."

He said getting a GPS monitoring system on the buses so people can keep track of where buses are at all times and having a new route to Niven Lake are more pressing issues.

Acting senior administrative officer Dennis Kefalas said Tuesday that the city has already done some estimates on the GPS units. Unless council makes changes to the communications infrastructure upgrades portion of the city budget on Monday, GPS services on buses will not go ahead at this time.

According to Nalini Naidoo, director of communications and economic development, the city envisions upgrading City Explorer so that residents can use the city website to track where buses are located.

Still, Kefalas said based on a summer transit survey, GPS service wasn't found to be the highest priority and although a Niven Lake route was most in demand, the last council rejected it.

"That (GPS) wasn't one of the enhancements that residents wanted and the highest one was increasing service to Niven Lake," he said this week.

Coun. Adrian Bell agrees with Vanthuyne that the city isn't getting the service expected. He has been vocal in recent weeks on the need for a GPS monitoring system on the buses and adds the item should be "relatively inexpensive." He used as an example the Vancouver transit system where riders text a number posted at their bus stop and receive information on where the bus is located.

"I wonder if people aren't really aware of what this kind of service could really mean and I'm wondering if this survey was the best way" to gauge public demand, said Bell.

Ecology North's transportation issues committee, whose representatives complained last week at council of not being consulted or having full access to the transit contract, held a meeting with Kefalas and Coun. Phil Moon Son on Tuesday. Kefalas reported that a transit meeting is now planned for April or May community groups can offer their thoughts on the future of transit and learn about ways to improve different aspects of transit like the level of service, routing, types of buses and planned changes to bus routes. Kefalas asked council to wait until after the meeting before deciding on the future direction of transit.

One resident in Niven said a bus route would make transportation more affordable and benefit her three children and nanny.

"I would like to see public transit in our neighbourhood, yes," said Colleen Zorn. "I have kids and I also have a nanny that I know both would benefit from it.

"I think Niven is developing now and it needs to be put on the bus routes."

When it is very cold and Zorn is not around to provide automobile transportation, often the nanny can't get to the house to take care of the kids, she said.

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