Those taking the city bus today are encouraged to say a quick thank you to transit drivers today.
Today marks Transit Operator and Worker Appreciation Day across Canada, including here in Windsor.
Each day thousands of residents around Windsor and Essex County, and those visiting the city, rely on Transit Windsor to safely get them where they need to go.
Not only does Transit Windsor bring residents around the city, they also bring passengers to Detroit on the Tunnel Bus.
Transit operators, as well as all team members, work tirelessly each day to help passengers access jobs, health care, school, community organizations, among other services around the region.
Michael Lucier, Financial Secretary-Treasurer with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 616 who represents Transit Windsor employees, says it's important to recognize those working around the city and county.
"We have about 230 drivers in Windsor and Essex County, and we driver through Windsor, Leamington, Amherstburg, and we even have the LaSalle bus, and we have the Tunnel Bus which brings people back and forth from Windsor to Detroit."
He says after a strike was diverted earlier this year, Transit Windsor employees take nothing for granted.
"We have so many wonderful passengers. Depending on some of our drivers who have been doing the same drive for many years, you get to know your passengers, you get to know where they're going, you build a really strong relationship with the ridership. And this is a great time just for the riders to say 'thank you' to the drivers."
Lucier says the Windsor-Essex region is unique.
"We take great pride in what we do, and there aren't very many bus services that are able to say they bring people from one country to another. So, that's a great portion of our service that we take pride in the fact that we even offer it."
Transit Windsor has over 300 employees, 230 of which are drivers.
Other employees include administration, customer service clerks, maintenance, mechanics, and other skilled trades.