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OC Transpo continues to shed riders, with passenger trips down 5.5 per cent from 2011 to 2013.

And the downward trend appears to have stretched into the first few months of 2014; passenger trips between January and March were almost three per cent lower than the same period last year.

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The sluggish ridership numbers, contained in the bus company’s 2013 annual performance report, come in spite of a rising level of overall customer satisfaction among transit users.

Transit commission chair Diane Deans tried to put on a brave face while commenting on the numbers, saying the problem isn’t unique to Ottawa.

“We’re not alone. There are other transit agencies across the country that are now reporting similar declines in ridership,” she said Wednesday.

Deans also reiterated her belief that job losses in the ranks of the federal public service might be to blame.

“It appears very much related to federal job reductions, so unfortunately until we start seeing the end of reductions in federal jobs, we’re probably going to continue to see this,” she said.