Thursday’s letters: Pulling bus routes a hardship to vulnerable

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Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) buses, in Edmonton Tuesday Jan. 19, 2021. Edmonton Transit PHOTO BY DAVID BLOOM /Postmedia
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Our community in Heritage Valley (which is not the first) has lost its bus route as members in our community had the audacity to complain about an essential service they don’t even use. ETS sided with these people after a flawed, non-inclusive survey and now are either asking our children who take the bus to junior high to walk at least three times as far or wait up to 30 minutes for an On Demand bus at Century Park.

Last time my daughter waited at Century Park instead of taking her connecting bus (as she was attempting to return a lost wallet) she was accosted by a group of individuals who were threatening to rape her. No one was there to help her and my 11-year-old-daughter now is very fearful of Century Park Transit Centre.

So, watch out Edmonton neighbourhoods, instead of supplementing our great city with On Demand, ETS is pulling bus routes and forcing our vulnerable to walk even further or put them in harm’s way. That is not acceptable.

Adrienne MacQueen, Edmonton

Poilievre a quieter kind of Trump

Since Pierre Poilievre won the Conservative leadership, he has shown he has absolutely no national platform, but to continually criticize the Trudeau government, or offer one single solution to any of our fiscal, social or health problems.

If he becomes prime minister, he will get his marching orders directly from the far-right U.S. Republicans and follow their playbook to the letter. Cut taxes for the rich, care less what happens in Ukraine, attempt to dismantle social programs and largely ignore climate change. He’s nothing but a bland, mean-spirited robot, just not as in-your-face as Trump, but a quiet version of him. Elect him at your peril and he will ultimately tear this country apart.

Inez Dyer, Edmonton

Get rid of On Demand Transit

Since they have changed the routes, people are expected to walk to their destination. That’s fine for students and younger people to do in the daytime. But to expect seniors to do it or moms with young kids especially once its dark and cold is ridiculous. 

Why did they not do a trial run first before approving this useless system? It’s easier to get around Toronto than Edmonton.

Time to change it back and get rid of On Demand.

Lynn Stamp, Edmonton