Ottawa's transit authority is making a significant shift in how high school students get to class — and if your teen rides OC Transpo to school, this change could affect your family's morning routine.
OC Transpo has revealed a list of 105 school trips that will be transferred back to school transportation authorities, moving students off city buses and onto yellow school buses. The shift marks a reversal of arrangements that were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, when OC Transpo took on added responsibility for high school transit as school boards adjusted to unprecedented disruptions.
How It Happened
When the pandemic upended daily life in Ottawa, school transportation systems scrambled to adapt. OC Transpo stepped in to fill gaps, absorbing a greater share of high school transit duties to help keep students moving safely. For many Ottawa families, city buses became a normal part of the school day.
Now, with the pandemic well behind us, transit officials say it's time to return those responsibilities to the school transportation authorities who traditionally handle them — and that means yellow buses are coming back for a lot of routes.
What's Changing
The 105 affected trips span schools across Ottawa, and OC Transpo has made the full list available so families can check whether their student's route is impacted. The trips are being handed back incrementally, giving school boards and transportation authorities time to put the necessary bus contracts and logistics in place.
For students and parents, the practical impact will vary. Some kids may find yellow bus service more direct or convenient; others who've become accustomed to the flexibility of an OC Transpo pass may need to adjust.
The Bigger Picture for OC Transpo
The move is part of a broader effort by OC Transpo to refocus its resources on core public transit service — regular routes, LRT operations, and commuter connections — rather than specialized school runs that fall outside its primary mandate.
Ottawa's transit system has faced mounting financial pressures in recent years, and streamlining operations is one way the city is working to bring costs under control. Transferring school trips back to dedicated school transportation providers makes sense from an efficiency standpoint: yellow bus services are purpose-built for that role, while OC Transpo's network is designed around city-wide public mobility.
What Families Should Do
If you have a high school student who currently uses OC Transpo to get to school, now is the time to check whether their route is on the list of 105 affected trips. School boards should be reaching out to affected families with details on new yellow bus arrangements, pickup times, and stops.
Parents can also contact their school's transportation office directly for the most up-to-date information on when the switch will happen and what new service will look like.
The transition is a reminder that even long-standing routines can shift — and that Ottawa's transit landscape continues to evolve as the city moves past pandemic-era accommodations and into a new normal.
Source: CBC Ottawa
