OttawaRural residents of Ottawa aren’t adequately served by OC Transpo, and privatized transit may be the way to bridge the gap, according to Rideau-Jock Coun. David Brown.’Throwing more money at an inefficient service won’t solve the issue,’ says Rideau-Jock Coun. David BrownGabrielle Huston · CBC News · Posted: Oct 02, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoRideau-Jock Coun. David Brown says private buses are already serving surrounding municipalities, and could improve service for rural residents in wards like his. (Francis Ferland/CBC News)Rural residents of Ottawa aren’t adequately served by OC Transpo, and privatized transit may be the way to bridge the gap, according to one city councillor.Rideau-Jock Coun. David Brown, whose sprawling south Ottawa ward includes the communities of Manotick, Richmond and North Gower, pitched the idea Sunday in an online post about the transit agency’s failure to meet the needs of rural residents.”If you’re looking to get around anywhere in the middle of the day, you’re completely stranded,” he told CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning.”The private sector is far more flexible when it comes to serving the needs of its clients … which is why I think it’s a great natural fit when we need to get more people into the city, when we want to get more people out of their cars.”Brown said some surrounding rural municipalities already have buses run by private operators, but they aren’t allowed to pick up passengers within Ottawa’s city limits. “I want to try to work with some of our private-sector partners to leverage these resources,” he said.But some officials and advocates have questions and concerns about how such a bus service would function, and the precedent it would set for privatizing public services.’An inefficient service’Brown’s suggestion comes after a major adjustment to OC Transpo bus routes significantly extended some commutes, and amid ongoing discussions at city hall about OC Transpo’s projected $47-million deficit.”Given that OC Transpo received more tax funding in 2023 than it has in any previous year of operation, throwing more money at an inefficient service won’t solve the issue,” Brown wrote online.”Residents in rural Ottawa should not be asked to pay more for services that they do not and will not receive.” The idea of solving rural transit woes with private operators isn’t new: It was raised earlier this summer as part of discussions about the city’s transportation master plan, according to Coun. Glen Gower, chair of Ottawa’s transit committee.’Often, people point to service efficiencies and more flexibility, but privatization also has a downside as well,’ said Coun. Glen Gower, who chairs Ottawa’s transit committee. (Jean Delisle/CBC)That process acknowledged the public desire to improve rural transit, Gower said, and resulted in a motion asking city staff to analyze the options, including private bus service, and report back.”I’m not against looking at it and and having a better understanding of of the pros and cons,” Gower said. “[But] there’s also a big concern [about] whether or not it’s even a good idea to be privatizing public services, and what implications that may have.”Privatization problems?Among the drawbacks, according to Gower: Fares would probably be higher on private buses, private operators may be less accountable to the public, and their surplus revenue goes to shareholders instead of back into public services.He added that there are “a lot of unknowns” about the idea, including questions about accessibility, and how the private and public services would interact.’It needs to be accessible to everyone and I’m concerned that if they privatize it that it will not be,’ said Sally Thomas. (Patrick Louiseize/CBC)Sally Thomas, a member of the board of directors at Ottawa Transit Riders, said she also has a lot of questions about the idea, and recalled a time when ParaTranspo was operated privately.”The difference between the service … the gap was quite large,” she said, adding that service has improved since OC Transpo took over.”I don’t think it’s a good idea to go back to privatization. It’s a public service, it should not be privatized,” she said.Gower said he expects the update from city staff early next year. Brown said he hopes to get something off the ground “as soon as possible” for residents of his ward.Ottawa Morning7:14What should transit in the Rideau-Jock ward look like?We’ll speak to city councillor David Brown on what new transit options would look like in the Rideau-Jock ward.ABOUT THE AUTHORGabrielle is an Ottawa-based journalist with eclectic interests. She’s spoken to video game developers, city councillors, neuroscientists and small business owners alike. Reach out to her for any reason at gabrielle.huston@cbc.ca.Follow Gabrielle on BlueskyFollow Gabrielle on InstagramWith files from CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning
This councillor says OC Transpo is failing his rural ward. Could private buses be the answer?
