The R1 bus service will supplement the Confederation Line, should there be problems with the O-Train, without drawing buses assigned to regular routes.

The City of Ottawa has 20 buses ready to react to any major light rail delay so that OC Transpo's regular bus routes can continue to operate as normal.

The R1 fleet, being housed at the Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Baseball Stadium, goes into service starting Monday, December 2.

In a memo released Friday afternoon, General Manager of Transportation Services John Manconi said he expects this dedicated bus fleet will result in faster deployment of R1 service when needed, and more reliable bus services overall.

Previously, buses had to be taken off existing routes and transferred to R1 service causing additional issues for passengers.

The new buses are clearly marked as being part of the R1 bus replacement service, which Manconi thinks will help customers to identify them when deployed.

The city thanked its customers in Friday's memo, including members of City Council and the Transit Commission for their constructive feedback, as OC Transpo continues to work through this period of transition towards a true multi-modal transportation system.

Regular reports of the work being done to improve Confederation Line service can be found here.