Halifax Transit service reductions to continue indefinitely

Reductions in Halifax Transit service that were introduced in February will now continue indefinitely, thanks to ongoing staff shortages.

Theservice reductions were expected to end in late summer, but the municipality said in a news release Tuesday they will remain in place until further notice.

The news release said progress is being made on recruitment and hiring, but as of the end of March, there were still 42 vacancies for conventional bus operators, with 598 of 640 positions filled.

"Based on staffing levels, efforts to increase service capacity will be re-evaluated over the coming months as we look to return to full service," the news release noted.

The Feb.27 service reductions included the suspension of three routes and schedule adjustments on several others. Those followed previous reductions last Augustand two rounds of reductions last July.

Ferry and Access-A-Bus services were not affected by the service reductions, and will continue as scheduled.

More changes coming

Two more bus schedules will be changed in the coming months "as part of ongoing adjustments for service quality and reliability," according to the news release.

Thosechanges will affect routes7B and 22 startingAug. 28. No further information has been released about the changes.