Council Rings Bell for Next Stop Announcement System

Josh Pringle with Stephanie Kinsella
Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The City of Ottawa is spending $12 million to install next stop announcement technology on OC Transpo buses.

After rejecting a recommendation from the Transit Committee two weeks ago, Council voted to approve a contract with US-based Clever Devices for the Smartbus Technology.

Council had originally approved $7 million for the next stop announcement system, but City Staff recommended other technology features for future use - bumping up the proposed contract to $17 million.

The $12 million contract will cover the call out system and technology upgrades.

Transit Services General Manager Alain Mercier had warned Council that if the Clever Devices contract was cancelled, it would cost $25 million and take two years before the next stop announcement system was installed.

Mayor Larry O'Brien took Mercier to task for the inital contract worth $17 million since it was outside the financial scope of what councilors had approved. During Tuesday's Council meeting, O'Brien said "this Council has a right to feel very uncomfortable right now with the competence of .. the people involved in this."

The next stop announcement system should be installed on OC Transpo buses by next summer.