Should OC Transpo bus drivers have to call out stops in both French and English?

[geo]

Traditional French service? I'm an English Quebecer, and I resent that.

Still, God help me if I ever suggest to a Montreal bus driver that he call stops in English...

Show me a bus driver that announces bus stops in ANY language!
Pte Krystal - your replies continue to be one sided & lead people to believe something that is not necessarily true.

 

[vonGarvin]

Traditional French service? I'm an English Quebecer, and I resent that.

Still, God help me if I ever suggest to a Montreal bus driver that he call stops in English...

According to the Charter, they don't have to in Quebec.

 

[davidk]

Geo - I've heard it announced  several times, several different routes - 24, 80, 103, 165... All in French, though. Granted, it's not required in any language, I'm just referencing the recent news item in which a certain newspaper reported how 'difficult' it is to be served in French in Montreal.

 

[geo]

But the undercover reporter couldn't get a job when she tried to get hired in Westmount.... go figure!


MsM tries to manipulate news to create SENSATIONAL NEWS..... and I resent it!

 

[davidk]

Point taken, Geo.

 

[Franko]

How about this, the bus drivers say nothing to anyone.        :

The guy likes to stir the shyte pot and nothing more.

$6000 compensation for out of pocket expenses for a flight between Montreal and Ottawa because he couldn't order a 7up in French?

Come on....get a life.

Regards

 

[Nfld Sapper]

What an a$$hat

 

[Shec]

The Gatineau buses offer traditional French service -they're surly and ignore all passengers, regardless of their linguistic affiliation.

To be fair IMHO Gatineau's STO is a better service than Ottawa's OCcasional Transpo.  I was able to compare and contrast them a couple of years ago while being linguistically re-programmed at Club Asticou and found STO to be more efficient of the 2.  Surly or not at least they religiously kept to their schedule.  Maybe its got something to do with a smaller area to service or maybe its got something to do with focussing their energy on the business of transportation rather than getting distracting by the politically correct noise that detracts from it.  In any event I didn't have to waste any of whatever time I have in this world waiting for STO to show up.

 

[Gunner98]

OC Transpo is a federal undertaking, subject to federal legislative jurisdiction in the area of labour relations.

The specifically federal aspect of OC Transpo must be considered - it is a public bus line providing interprovincial service. The provision of a public bus service going into Quebec is its dominant federal characteristic.

Parliament can assert exclusive legislative jurisdiction excluding the application of provincial statutes to the specifically federal aspects of such things or persons...

http://www.accessandprivacy.gov.on.ca/english/order/mun/m-13.html

Ottawa City Bilingualism Policy:Language of Service
http://ottawa.ca/city_hall/policies/bilingualism_policy/index_en.html

Take the necessary steps to provide at all times the appropriate number of bilingual employees within work units;
By appointing employees meeting the language requirements of the unit where the vacancy occurs or by providing language training to new incumbents...

 

[Reccesoldier]

OC Transpo is a federal undertaking, subject to federal legislative jurisdiction in the area of labour relations.

The specifically federal aspect of OC Transpo must be considered - it is a public bus line providing interprovincial service. The provision of a public bus service going into Quebec is its dominant federal characteristic.

Parliament can assert exclusive legislative jurisdiction excluding the application of provincial statutes to the specifically federal aspects of such things or persons...

http://www.accessandprivacy.gov.on.ca/english/order/mun/m-13.html

Ottawa City Bilingualism Policy:Language of Service
http://ottawa.ca/city_hall/policies/bilingualism_policy/index_en.html

Take the necessary steps to provide at all times the appropriate number of bilingual employees within work units;
By appointing employees meeting the language requirements of the unit where the vacancy occurs or by providing language training to new incumbents...

Eh?

City Council sets transit policies and guides the implementation of service. The Director of Transit Services is responsible for operating the transit system within the set policies and budgets, and reports to the Deputy City Manager, Planning, Transit and the Environment (PTED), who in turn reports to Transit Committee and Council. Nine members of the Council are appointed to the Transit Committee which meets semi-monthly.

As a public enterprise operating on behalf of the citizens of Ottawa, all decisions receive public scrutiny. Council and Transit Committee meetings at City Hall are open to the public.

Every effort is made to incorporate public opinion when policies are developed. Customers are frequently asked for their ideas about transit service; the annual service plan is prepared in consultation with the public, employers, school boards, community groups, associations and transit employees.

OC Transpo is committed to responding to the diverse and changing mobility needs of customers and new trends and developments in transit, in partnership with the community.

http://www.octranspo.com/about_index.asp?lang=E

The City of Ottawa is NOT a federal jurisdiction like Washington DC.  It is a city, the same as any other, the only difference being that the city co-operates with the federal government where possible but is NOT dictated to by it.

 

[Gunner98]

Reccesoldier, I stand corrected, my refs were dated prior to the following:
:-[
The former Ottawa-Carleton Regional Transit Commission (OCRTC) was organized in 1972 and traded as “OC Transpo.” OCRTC was abolished in 2001 when the local authorities of all suburbs and rural townships within the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, and the RMOC itself, were amalgamated into an expanded City of Ottawa. The municipal transport undertaking continues to trade as “OC Transpo.”)

 

[Kilroy]

I love some of the stuff the guy said in the article. First off:

Thibodeau is a frequent bus rider ----  If he is a frequent rider, why is he only NOW complaining about it?? Did he just now find out he can sue and get money?? Why did he not say something before??

And another thing he also says:

"This is my city and my country and two peoples founded this country -- the English and the French -- and we have decided to live with each other," said Thibodeau.  -----  and the Indians had the country before these two peoples, so should the bus drivers be expected to great people in every single native dialect as well?? What about Ukrainian people who come to this country, once they become citizens it is their country too. Should Ukrainian also be a language used to great passengers?? How about Dutch, or russian, or Bosnian, or japanese, or "insert language here"  I guess what this Thibodeau guy REALLY wants is for the bus driver to great passengers in basically every language on earth. Should make for an interesting bus ride, when the driver has to spend three hours when greating a passenger, so he can insure he greats him or her in thier language of choice. This Thibdeau guy obviously speaks english, so he can obviously understand the word hello, so in my opinion he was greated in a lnaguage the guy can understand!!!!!!

 

[geo]

Don't forget the Vikings!, The Vikings got here 1st!

 

[danchapps]

I noticed while on the TTC yesterday (for the first time in well over a year) that there is an LED board mounted behind the drivers head that displays the next stop. As well, there is a voice (Not the driver, because talking all day would create a workplace hazard) that says in a nice calm, clear voice "Next stop Royal York Road". All OC Transpo would have to do is ask the TTC about it, then get the voice to say "Next stop, Arrêt prochain [insert stop here]". Or maybe they'd have the French first, I don't know. As far as I'm concerned you can never please everyone, and people have nothing better to do than complain. At least the driver is acknowledging their existence.

 

[George Wallace]

How about this:  Everyone who wants the bus drivers to announce the next stop, in any language, goes out and lays $7,000 on the purchase of my new device.  It is similar to what is rented in major museums and art galleries and such, except you get to own it after you purchase it.  It will be hooked up to a number of sensors throughout the major bus routes and you will have announcements prior to the next stop as to what it is.  These devices will be programned in English, Chinese, Japanese, German, Italian, Farsi, Swedish and Ukrainian.  In between stops there will be advertising for shops located in that vicinity.  I gotta make a buck somehow.