RideNorfolk

[Seashore_518203]

It would appear that Donnelly Transit has re-emerged as a numbered Ontario company. They were awarded the contract for the transit service from mid-May until the end of 2018. The contract also includes the summer only route. It will be interesting to see what equipment will be operated.

http://www.simcoereformer.ca/2017/04/11/tax-dispute-disrupted-local-shuttle-service-in-january

Sharp Bus Lines, who are temporarily providing the service, lost out on the low bid contract and it is assumed that they will keep operating until mid-May.

[Chris W]

Really? Donnelly does not have a proven track record. Just let it die. Donnelly I mean.

[UrbanToronto]

I rode the Brantford-Simcoe bus yesterday. It's a nice, speedy, linear route via Mount Pleasant and Waterford. The bus stops on the south-most south-facing bay at the Brantford Bus Terminal. Fares are $10 cash each way. It appears that all the buses - including the Simcoe Local - are the ex-Peel TransHelp E350s. 

The big benefit to the Brantford route (three round trips daily) is the connection to GO Transit buses. GO Route 15 buses are half full on weekdays - largely made up of WLU-Laurier students, but myself and one other gentleman made the transfer from the RideNorfolk bus. 

[Articulated]

Next week, Ride Norfolk will transition to an on-demand model of service.

The Brantford route will operate twice a day on fixed times (9:15, 3:20), with the midday 1:15 departure cancelled. The rest of the rural routes will operate on-demand, with communities receiving service on certain days of the week like currently.

From the photo in the article, it also looks like the contractor has shifted from 2554684 Ontario Ltd to Voyago Transit, who operates most of the rural services in southwestern Ontario.

https://www.norfolkcounty.ca/news/ride-norfolk-moving-to-on-demand-model/

[G.A]

7 hours ago, Articulated said:

Next week, Ride Norfolk will transition to an on-demand model of service.

The Brantford route will operate twice a day on fixed times (9:15, 3:20), with the midday 1:15 departure cancelled. The rest of the rural routes will operate on-demand, with communities receiving service on certain days of the week like currently.

From the photo in the article, it also looks like the contractor has shifted from 2554684 Ontario Ltd to Voyago Transit, who operates most of the rural services in southwestern Ontario.

https://www.norfolkcounty.ca/news/ride-norfolk-moving-to-on-demand-model/

That explains why I've seen most of the previous contractors bus fleet for sale in the last few months. The ridership must be really low if they are switching to On demans.

[Seashore_518203]

I received an update on the fleet. The new contractor, Voyago, took over operation on January 1, 2023.

Four 2017 Chevrolet 4500 cutaways are used, numbers 17132-17135.

The Brantford-Simcoe route is still a fixed schedule, but everything else is now On Demand.

[Articulated]

1 hour ago, Seashore_518203 said:

I received an update on the fleet. The new contractor, Voyago, took over operation on January 1, 2023.

Four 2017 Chevrolet 4500 cutaways are used, numbers 17132-17135.

The Brantford-Simcoe route is still a fixed schedule, but everything else is now On Demand.

Those vehicles should be transferred from the London paratransit fleet.

Unusual for a new Voyago contract to not bring in new buses, but I guess Norfolk doesn't want to pay for brand-new equipment, similar to how the previous contractor employed a rotating door of ex-TransHelp Peel and GRT cutaways.

[G.A]

3 hours ago, Articulated said:

Those vehicles should be transferred from the London paratransit fleet.

Unusual for a new Voyago contract to not bring in new buses, but I guess Norfolk doesn't want to pay for brand-new equipment, similar to how the previous contractor employed a rotating door of ex-TransHelp Peel and GRT cutaways.

I should mention that the previous contractor had also used two or more former Barrie Arboc buses. I seen two for sale on kijiji and spotted one last year in St. Thomas.