Bus rider grumbling doesn't bother this equally frustrated OC Transpo driver

Long waits in the cold. Packed buses that speed right by. Routes that don't go where they used to.

Those are just a few of the complaintsleveledrecentlyat OC Transpoas the Ottawatransit agency deals withthe delayedarrival of the Confederation light rail line and a cold, snowy winter.

• OC Transpo users unite to demand smoother ride

Bus driver Frank Fata wants riders to know he feels their pain.

"It is disturbing to hear what they're going through. I know that a lot of other transit agencies in North America are going through the same thingwith the weather," said Fata, who's driven an OC Transpo bus for more than two decades.

"I can't remember getting this much snow in one shot."

Snowiest January ever

This month alone, Ottawa has received97 centimetres of snow,making it the city'ssnowiest January on record.

Fatatold CBC Radio'sAll In A DayWednesday it's resulted inbuses running significantly behind schedule, and that passengers have been giving him an earful when he finally shows up at the stop.

Gracefully accepting all that vitriol requires "a tough skin," Fata said. Offering up an apology when peopleboard helps smooth things over, he added.

He said it's "aggravating"when drivers can see their frozen passengers waitinga kilometre or two up the road for their bus to slowly inch towardthem and there's nothing they can do.

"You know they're going to be upset when you pull in at the stop. I would beas well," Fata said.

"There's not any real solution when you're stuck in the traffic because of the weather. If one of our customers took their car, they would've been stuck [too]. So they're no further ahead."

Lots of little delays

Earlier this month, OC Transpo customer services manager David Pepper told All In A Day there are a myriad of reasons for winter delays, from collisions and road closures to sick drivers and busmechanical issues.

• Cold isn't cause of bus delays, but can make them worse, OCTransposays

Fata said Wednesday that small things in winter like riders pulling off their gloves beforeswipingtheir Presto cards and delicately climbing over snowbanks just to board add up over the course of aroute to cause further delays.

Both Fata and Pepper agreedriders will experience fewer late and cancelled buses once the new LRT line is operating.

But until then, Fata saidpassengers should prepare for inaccurateschedules, especially when snow is falling.

"I throw mine on the dash," he said. "There's no way you can keep up with the schedule."