As heavy rainfall covered Greater Victoria on Friday, bus riders were also hit with the worst of a transit strike.

Despite the cancellation of about 70 runs due to a ban on overtime, primarily on University of Victoria-bound routes, many riders seem to be relatively unaffected.

B次元官网网址淭hey should be striking more,B次元官网网址� remarked UVic student Justin Robertson, while on the No. 14, one of the routes which has seen the most cancellations throughout the weekB次元官网网址檚 job action. B次元官网网址淓specially with all the news about buying smaller buses. That seems pretty un-refuted.B次元官网网址�

The smaller, community shuttle buses are at the centre of the contract dispute between B.C. Transit and Canadian Auto Workers local 333.

When the no-overtime job action began Oct. 22, B.C. Transit cancelled about 20 runs across the region. By Friday, that number had ballooned to about 70 runs.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think that if youB次元官网网址檙e going to be at 70 runs cancelled, youB次元官网网址檙e not going to have some kind of an impact,B次元官网网址� said Ben Williams, CAW local 333 union president. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very unfortunate, but itB次元官网网址檚 directly affecting the students who we work very closely with. B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 a very unfortunate side effect of our job action and not something we wanted it to get to.B次元官网网址�

UVic StudentsB次元官网网址� Society director of external relations Lucia Orser said the anxiety around the cancellations has had just as much impact on students as spotty service before the strike B次元官网网址� a reality to which she says students on busier routes have grown accustomed.

B次元官网网址淥ne thing weB次元官网网址檝e been cautioning (students) about is giving themselves enough time,B次元官网网址� Orser said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 funny, at this point in the semester students are used to giving themselves that extra time, but this just exacerbates the issue.B次元官网网址�

Tagg Kelt, Camosun College Student Society staffer said the partial strike is having an effect, though it could get worse.

Kelt works from CamosunB次元官网网址檚 Interurban campus B次元官网网址� an area as yet unaffected by the job action, but also one where service is regarded as unsatisfactory by many, he said.

B次元官网网址淓ven before job action, theyB次元官网网址檙e not meeting demand,B次元官网网址� he said.

B.C. Transit receives about 300 customer calls on an average day. Last week, that number doubled to between 500 and 600. Yet on Friday, when more than 70 runs were cancelled, they received just three calls of complaint regarding service.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 worrisome to us that people might be finding some other way of getting around,B次元官网网址� said Meribeth Burton, spokesperson for B.C. Transit. B次元官网网址淲e hope (the job action) isnB次元官网网址檛 how it will continue (this) week.B次元官网网址�

Williams said riders have largely shown their support for drivers and makes no promises on when the cancellations will end.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 definitely a possibility the action will be increased,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 say a date and time of what that may be but thereB次元官网网址檚 certainly is a possibility that job action could increase beyond the overtime ban and the uniform ban.B次元官网网址�

Up-to-date route information is available on B.C. Transit's website at transitbc.com.

nnorth@saanichnews.com

-with files from Roszan Holmen