No free ride for MiWay transit bus passengers in Mississauga on New Year’s Eve

Mississauga bus passengers will not get a free ride aboard MiWay vehicles on New Year’s Eve.

In announcing a series of MiWay service changes that will be in effect from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2, City of Mississauga officials said the transit provider will not be offering free New Year’s Eve service or additional extended evening service on Dec. 31.

The City took the same measures last New Year’s Eve as well in an effort to limit social gatherings and packed buses in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has in recent weeks seen the introduction of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

MiWay officials say the upcoming service changes are being implemented to ensure service is aligned with customer demand during the holiday season.

Starting Dec. 20 & Jan. 3, @MiWayHelps service changes will occur to align service with customer demand.

🚌 Learn more: https://t.co/5M1wN7TQ9G pic.twitter.com/sEDxqBNrgx

— City of Mississauga (@citymississauga) December 14, 2021

While there will be no free rides or extended evening service on New Year’s Eve, a move also made by other GTA transit systems, more than half of MiWay routes scheduled for the evening of Dec. 31 will operate after midnight into the early morning hours of Jan. 1, officials say.

As for other service changes, MiWay officials say “during the holidays, some routes will have reduced (less frequent) service and some routes will not operate (at all) due to low customer demand.”

Meanwhile, other changes are in store starting in early January, transit officials note.

Effective Jan. 3, MiWay will revise some routes and schedules “to strengthen transit network connections and increase service frequency on routes where customer demand has grown.”

Service changes include:

• 57 Courtneypark (weekday): revised routing to service Sheridan College via Mavis Rd. to improve connections with Brampton Transit and respond to ridership growth in employment areas along Courtneypark Dr. This route will no longer service Meadowvale Town Centre, Meadowvale Blvd. or Old Derry Rd. Customers can take Route 42 Derry and transfer to Route 57 Courtneypark at Mavis Rd. and Derry Rd.
• 8 Cawthra (weekday): revised routing to resume service to the Mississauga Seniors Centre between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• more frequent service along some major roads: includes routes 39 Britannia (weekday), 42 Derry (Sunday) and 66 McLaughlin (weekday)

MiWay officials remind passengers they still must wear face masks while riding buses and inside transit terminals.