Durham Region Transit Approves Fare Program for Armed Forces Members and Updates Routes for September 2025

Members of the Durham Region Transit Executive Committee met in Whitby on September 3 to review and approve new fare policies and service changes for Durham Region Transit (DRT).

The updates affect fare eligibility for Canadian Armed Forces members during the National Poppy Campaign and include route changes for several DRT services. These adjustments were documented in the committee's official summary and apply to communities across Durham Region, including Bowmanville, Pickering, Whitby, and Oshawa.

The committee approved a fare program allowing Canadian Armed Forces members—including active-duty personnel, reservists, and veterans—to travel without paying fares on DRT services from the last Friday in October through Remembrance Day on November 11. According to DRT, eligible riders must either be in uniform or present medals or the appropriate government identification.

In a report covering January 6 to August 10, 2025, DRT identified its most productive routes as Route 901, Route 101, Route 900, Route 216, and Route 419.

For September, DRT announced service changes to several routes:

• Route 112 in Pickering will extend to Alexander Knox Road and Peter Matthews Drive.
• Route 315 in Whitby will introduce new peak-period service between Whitby Station and Port Whitby.
• Route 403B in Oshawa is reinstated and modified for weekday peak service along Stevenson Road.
• Route 505 in Bowmanville will provide new peak-period service between downtown Bowmanville and Port Darlington.
• Route 917 in Whitby will be rerouted along Stellar Drive to maintain access to both Durham College Whitby Campus and employment areas.

Details are available in the full committee agenda on the Durham Region Transit website.