TTC adds Wheel-Trans buses as elevator strike continues

The Toronto Transit Commissionsays they are adding buses and looking at their options for riders as the elevator workers strike continues.

Some commuters rely onthe80 elevators throughout the TTC's subway system to travel, said TTC spokesman Brad Ross. He said 10 per cent ofthe company's elevatorsare currently out of service.

The International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Locals 96, 90 and 50 have been striking foralmost two weeks.

"We've been putting some Wheel-Trans buses in strategic locations across the system so [if] people in wheelchairs, for example, find themselves stuck in a station ... we're able to get them to where they need to go by Wheel-Trans," said Ross.

Hiring a second elevator service provider is another option the TTC isexploringto fix broken elevators, added Ross.

The strike is starting to affect businesses and residences across the city as service calls become backed up. Managers and temporary workers are trying to keep elevators in service.