Published 2 days ago • loading... • Updated 1 day ago

Buses running in Ottawa causes backlash, with up to 15 cm possible

On Monday, Ottawa Student Transportation ran buses despite 9 cm of snow overnight and another 15 cm expected, prompting heavy criticism on social media.
OSTA said a pre‑dawn five‑point assessment starting at 4:00 a.m. and concluding by 5:30 a.m. included forecasted accumulation at 0.5 cm or less, visibility above 1 km, and City of Ottawa crews working overnight.
On the ground, residents said several main arterial roads were snow-covered by 9:30 a.m., plows arrived late in the West End, Ottawa International Airport reported delays, and Ontario Provincial Police responded to 50 collisions.
Boards in neighbouring regions moved exams and closed schools, as many eastern Ontario school boards kept buses parked while Ottawa ran service, warning January 27, 2026 exams may shift again if transport cancels.
OSTA defended the decision, saying `Student safety is OSTA's highest priority`, while residents asked `Respectfully, where in Ottawa was this assessment conducted?` and the parking ban may be extended.

Insights by Ground AI

11 Articles

Buses running in Ottawa causes backlash, with up to 15 cm possible

Snowfall is causing messy roads in the nation’s capital, but it was not enough to cancel school buses, according to the bus authority. The Ottawa School Transportation Authority (OSTA) conducted a weather assessment just before 5:00 a.m. and said that buses would be running for the Ottawa Catholic School Board, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, Conseil […]

2 days ago·Toronto, Canada

Read Full Article