Return to the office also meant a return to traffic, parking and simmering tensions

Federal public servants began their mandated three days per week in the office Monday, and there were some bumps on the way back to their cubicles.

In May, the federal government announced workers would return to the office three days a week — up from two — starting Sept. 9. Executives must now be in the office at least four days a week.

The unions have been vowing to fight back ever since it was announced.

Workers in the National Capital Region faced traffic snarls, lack of office space, technical issues, difficulty finding parking and a flare-up over spending at downtown businesses.

Here's a look back at the week that was.

Traffic chaos and parking woes

Roads were busier than usual this past week with the influx of workers into the downtown core.

It didn't help on Tuesday when Ottawa's LRT closed down for an hour during the morning cummute and was replaced by R1 buses, forcing many to drive to work rather than take transit.

On Wednesday, Radio-Canada timed the commute from Boulevard Lorraine in Gatineau's east end to downtown Ottawa. Normally, it would take 20 to 30 minutes. This week, they were stuck on Highway 50 for two hours.

Once office workers finally made it downtown, many had a hard time finding a place to park, and many were surprised by the cost.

CBC Ottawa's inbox received a lot of messages about that, including this one:

«Yesterday upon leaving the parking garage under the building I work in, I was shocked that the cost of the parking was raised from $20 to $23.»

Lack of office space

Radio-Canada contacted some 15 federal government departments to ask about their plans for this week's return. Some acknowledged they couldn't meet the demand for office space.

• Shared Services Canada said not all its workplaces could