Nova Scotia medical transportation pilot to end in December 2026
Nova Scotia Health’s Northern Zone Transportation Pilot, which provided free rides for medical appointments in the province's northern areas, will end on Dec. 1, 2026, after federal funds were exhausted. Residents and an independent MLA have criticized the decision.
Nova Scotia Health’s Northern Zone Transportation Pilot, a program that provided free rides for medical and physiotherapy appointments in the northern areas of the province, is scheduled to end on Dec. 1, 2026.
The transportation pilot was one of the recommendations made by the Mass Casualty Commission. Nova Scotia Health stated that the program became unsustainable due to exhausting federal funds and the complexities involved in providing rural, non-medical transportation.
Wanda Tingley, who lives about 45 minutes outside of Halifax in Lantz, N.S., relies on the service to attend her medical appointments. In 2021, she suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as damage to her eyes, shoulders, and feet after being hit by two cars 11 days apart in April of that year. With the program ending after operating for less than three years, residents like Tingley face losing access to free transportation, raising concerns that individuals with disabilities or injuries may experience a decline in health progress or plateau without it.
Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, the independent MLA for Cumberland North, criticized the cancellation. She described ending the program as not being a responsible way to provide government services, adding to political criticism regarding the handling of the Mass Casualty Commission's recommendations.