An ongoing labour shortage is causing more trouble for Whistler's public transit system.
BC Transit announced Thursday that all extra weekend service on Whistler's routes 4, 5 and 20X is suspended, beginning Friday, Jan. 14 until April 3, 2022.
Though Whistler Transit System buses operate from 5:30 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. every day of the year, additional service is offered on routes 4, 5, 20, 20X, 25, 30 and 31 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays during the busier winter period.
"Not unlike other transit operators in the province, the Whistler Transit System is currently experiencing service challenges that have resulted in the need to cancel some trips and alter schedules on short notice to reflect changing conditions," the transit operator explained in a release.
"There may be additional service cancelled on short notice."
Earlier this month, Whistler Transit issued an active customer advisory for all routes in the resort, notifying riders of delays of up to 50 minutes or more due to the ongoing driver shortage.
In an effort to curtail the effects of these service challenges on transit users, BC Transit said it will post alerts to its website at to its @WhistlerTransit Twitter feed once trip cancellations are confirmed. Customers are encouraged to check these alerts regularly and sign up for route-specific email notifications for the Whistler Transit System here.
In the release, BC Transit and the Resort Municipality of Whistler apologized for the inconvenience and said they recognize the significant impacts these service disruptions have on the community. "Together, the organizations are working with the operating company, Whistler Transit Ltd., to rectify this issue," they noted, citing a transit operator recruitment campaign that 's currently underway to help address the driver shortage.
Customers can access up-to-date route and schedule information at bctransit.com/whistler, or track Whistler Transit System busses in real-time via NextRide.
