The ongoing struggles with Belleville’s bus system

By: Mohitpreet Singh

BELLEVILLE – A number of students at Loyalist College say they are still struggling with changes to Belleville’s public transit system.

Gurpreet Singh came to Canada last September, He says he has been facing significant challenges with the recent changes to Belleville Transit.

These change were may at the beginning of May. They include the cancellation of two routes and changes to eight others. Singh says the changes have caused widespread inconvenience for him and many others in the community.

Gurpreet Singh

Singh says the  removal of these routes has left many neighborhoods without nearby bus stops, forcing people to walk much farther to access public transit. This is especially challenging for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and anyone trying to navigate harsh weather conditions. 

His own commute has become much longer and more complicated. Before the changes, his travel was relatively straightforward, but now he has to transfer between buses, and the connections are often unreliable. While the new system was meant to make travel faster, it says it has had the opposite effect for him. 

Singh also says that he and  many others were unaware that their routes were being canceled until the changes took effect. This sudden shift left people scrambling to adjust, creating confusion and frustration across the city.

He hopes the city will listen to the feedback from affected residents and make adjustments to improve the system. He believes that adding back services to underserved neighborhoods or reinstating key stops could help make public transit more accessible and effective for everyone. 

Harman Singh

Another newcomer, Harman Singh says that the new system has led to delays, with many buses arriving late. This has made it increasingly difficult for him and his friends to reach Loyalist College or their workplaces on time, forcing them to rethink their travel plans and schedules.

The reduced number of routes and the resulting increase in demand have also led to overcrowding on certain buses. During peak hours, these buses are often packed with passengers, making the rides uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe. The congestion not only adds to students’ stress but also affects the overall efficiency of the transit system.

Jesse Gawley is a supervisor with Belleville Transit. He says that the route changes were made after a long  public consultation process and was really a community-based decision as a whole. 

Gawley says the Transit Master Plan identified more efficient ways to provide service to the community to have more faster, more reliable service. While few may need to walk a bit further the service he says that the service has actually improved over all.