Metrobus riders may have noticed that Metrobus drivers are using temporary "emergency bus transfers" instead of regular bus transfers while the transit agency awaits delivery of its supply of the popular transfer slips.

Metro is temporarily out of its transfer tickets because Globe Ticket of Warminster, PA, the transit industry’s supplier of bus transfer tickets, is having difficulty with its machinery and missed its delivery to Metro. Other transit agencies also are experiencing similar challenges.

Metrobus riders who transfer from one bus to another request a transfer slip from the bus operator and it is good for a free ride on the bus that they transfer onto. A regular transfer slip has the date printed on it. An "emergency" transfer slip has the word "emergency" printed on it .

Metro orders the bus transfers in 60-day increments and the last order was placed on September 12. However in mid-November Globe Ticket contacted Metro officials to let them know that the November 21 shipment was going to arrive late.

Metro ran out of weekday transfer tickets yesterday, November 28, and today used the "emergency transfer slips" which don’t carry a specific date, but are good for a broader period of time. The bus operator tears the emergency transfer tickets to indicate they have been used. Metro also supplied other local jurisdictional transit agencies, which have also run out of transfers, with the Metro emergency transfer slips at no cost, as they also are out of the transfer slips. Metro has enough weekend transfer slips to last through mid January.

Metro typically uses 319,000 bus transfers per weekday; 200,000 per Saturday and 129,500 per Sunday. The 60-day supply typically arrives a week in advance and consists of more than 19 million transfer slips. They come stitched in books of 50.

We have used Globe Ticket for 20 years and has never before had any problem with the transfer tickets.

Metro expects a four-day supply of the transfer tickets to arrive for use on Wednesday, November 30.