TTC recalls 150 workers as schools set to open

Transit agency laid off 450 employees in April

The TTC is recalling 150 employees who were laid off due to the pandemic.

The transit agency laid off 450 employees in April amid a mass decline in ridership.

The decision to rehire staff comes as elementary and high schools are getting set to reopen.

Ridership usually goes up by about 10 per cent at the start of each school year, the TTC said.

“These have been difficult times for everyone at the TTC, as we’ve been forced to respond to the pandemic by making some tough decisions to reduce expenses and revise service delivery,” said CEO Rick Leary in a media release.

“The good news is that things are turning around and we’re able to start bringing back operators and reinstating some of the service, as well as adding service to the busiest routes across the network.”

The agency says it plans to rehire the remainder of those laid off once ridership levels meet at least 50 per cent of what they looked were prior to the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, the TTC saw 1.7 million rides on a typical weekday. Once the lockdowns came into effect, this was reduced to 15 to 20 per cent of that.

Ridership levels as of this week have recovered to about 35 or 40 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, as more people are returning to work outside of the home.

“The unprecedented ridership drop was no fault of the TTC and I’m proud to have secured hundreds of millions from the federal and provincial governments to help protect our transit system,” said Mayor John Tory in the media release.

“The changes announced today will ensure that as schools reopen and more people return to work, the TTC can continue to deliver safe and reliable service across the city, with increased service on its busiest routes.”