FAQs

Each year, we provide nearly 300,000 trips to about 5,000 customers. We also manage about 100,000 no-shows and trip cancellations every year. When a customer cancels late or doesn’t show for their trip, a vehicle goes unused, and a trip is wasted. The proposed policy aims to improve service for Transit Plus customers. 

These changes follow recommendations from both the Manitoba Ombudsman’s report and the Winnipeg Transit Master Plan. They highlighted specific areas of improvement for our service and we’re following through.

In 2023, we asked customers, family members or caregivers, and service providers for feedback on our proposed No-Show and Late Cancellation Policy. Your feedback helped us revise the policy to make it clearer, fairer, and more flexible. This policy is proposed and will go to Council for review in 2026.

What's new

• No financial penalties
• Separate tracking for late cancellations and no-shows/cancellations at the door
• Warnings first, suspensions based on repeated patterns
• Monthly counts reset; errors do not count
  
  

No-shows or cancellations at the door

• Customer is not there when the driver arrives
• Customer is not ready within 5 minutes
• Customer cancels when the driver arrives
• The trip cannot take place due to safety concerns (for example, an unshoveled path or a mobility device that cannot be safely secured)
  
  

Late cancellations

• Customer cancels less than 2 hours before pick-up window
  
  

Suspensions

In one month:

• Four or more no-shows/cancellations at the door OR
• Six or more late cancellations
  
  

Length of suspensions

• 1st suspension: Seven days
• 2nd suspension: 14 days
• 3rd suspension: 30 days
• 4th suspension: 60 days
• Rare cases: up to 90 days
  
  

Appeals

• Suspensions longer than seven days can be appealed.

A no-show is when a customer is not at the pick-up for their scheduled trip. 

A late cancellation is when a trip is cancelled without enough notice. The proposed system records a late cancellation if a ride is cancelled with less than two hours’ notice. For example, if your scheduled pick-up time is 7 p.m., you must cancel before 5 p.m. to avoid being recorded as a late cancellation.  

We understand that sometimes a customer cancels late for reasons beyond their control. The revised policy recognizes that “life happens”. Customers are not penalized for occasional no-shows or late cancellations. 

Under our current policy, Transit Plus customers face financial penalties for missing a trip or late cancelling. Repeat offenders who don’t pay fines face suspension of service.

If the revised policy had been in place over the past year, only about three percent of customers would have had their service temporarily suspended. 

Customers will be able to check their status in a number of ways:

• Call or email Transit Plus to check their status
• Receive automated notifications 
• Use self-service tools (more options are being explored)

In spring 2026, we will recommend the revised No-Show and Late Cancellation Policy to the Standing Committee on Public Works.  The Executive Policy Committee will then consider it before it goes to Council for final consideration. As part of that process, there will be an opportunity for the public to participate in meetings of Council and committees of Council by submitting their comments in writing, or by appearing in delegation.

If approved by Council, the new policy is expected to be in place in 2026, and customers will be notified prior to implementation.

Before these proposed changes go to City Council later this year, we want to share our recommendations with customers, stakeholders, and the public.

Transit Plus staff will host public information sessions later this month. Registration is required. Each session will include a short presentation about the proposed changes, followed by time for questions.

These sessions will cover proposed updates to the:

• No-Show & Late Cancellation Policy
• Eligibility Criteria
• Carry-on Bag Policy