Heat will be required on Manitoba buses starting Nov. 1.
The provincial government announced Monday it will amend transportation regulations and mandate daily inspection checks for systems on some commercial buses.
Passenger heaters will be added to the list of equipment that must be inspected before trips. The legislation change details methods of inspection to determine heating systems are still functional.
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For years, the Free Press has reported on allegations of buses travelling from Thompson to Winnipeg without adequate heat.
The amendments follow reports by bus passengers saying they’ve travelled in frigid temperatures without proper heat, the government said in a news release Monday.
For years, the Free Press has reported on allegations of buses travelling from Thompson to Winnipeg without adequate heat.
In 2019, a passenger on Thompson Bus called the trip a “nightmare in an icebox.”
In 2023, several Thompson residents (and former bus drivers) recounted their experiences with frosted windshields and nights spent en route in the cold.
“It’s a matter of time before somebody dies,” the owner of a service that shuttles passengers between Winnipeg and Thunder Bay, Ont., said at the time.
A typical bus run from Thompson, Manitoba’s northernmost city, to Winnipeg is 760 kilometres. Passengers of all ages often take buses to the province’s capital for medical appointments.
“Whether travelling by bus is the only option or their preferred choice, all passengers must be safe and comfortable when travelling during cold weather,” Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor said in the release.