Lower than average ridership is plaguing the London Transit Commission in the aftermath of a month-long strike.

In addition to costing the LTC approximately $3 million in revenue, the strike has caused a reduced number of riders even as the Commission continues to operate normally.

“We lost a lot of ridership,” Harold Usher, commissioner for the LTC, said. “First of all [we] lost a lot of revenue as a result of the days that we were not operating, but we saved some money because we were not operating.”

However, Usher believed the LTC probably saved more money in 2009 than it lost due to the lack of operating costs incurred during the strike.

“It takes a while for people to come back as customers,” Usher added. “Then some people will never come back as a customer because they have found alternate forms of transportation.”

“A municipal transit strike usually requires a year recovery,” Tom Gosnell, deputy mayor of the City of London, said.

Despite low ridership and the lost revenue incurred by the Commission, Gosnell believed there will not be a need for the City to fund the LTC additionally. But he mentioned action will be taken in the future if such an issue persists.

“If [the LTC] doesn’t recover and if it continues at the rate we are at now, it would require a fare change and more money from the City or a combination of both,” Gosnell said.

Moreover, according to Gosnell, the City has reserves set aside if the LTC requires further assistance.

“We are going to get our ridership back — it’s just a matter of time,” Usher said. “We have always been doing promotion for ridership — we don’t sit back and say ‘riders will come’ — we have a plan.”

Usher cited a number of marketing and advertising strategies used to improve ridership.

Additionally, unemployment may also be a factor contributing to low ridership according to Gosnell.

“That’s had an impact especially in the lower income and younger ridership,” he said.

Plans to expand the LTC are in the works, despite supposed disinterest of the public.

“At the same time we are trying to grow the transit system,” Gosnell added. “We hope to get more people on it.”