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» babble   » from far and wide   » bc, alberta, saskatchewan   » 6.39 bus cancelled until further notice without notice!

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Author Topic: 6.39 bus cancelled until further notice without notice!
Brian White
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8013

posted 30 October 2008 06:06 PM      Profile for Brian White   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
"The 70 express bus to downtown leaving sidney at 6.39 pm has been canceled until further notice due to staff shortages" This is the response that a lady got from the customer service dept when she foned to ask why it didnt show up on wednsday in sidney. I was on it on monday, assumed an accident or mechanical problems tuesday when it didnt show up and waited an extra half hour for the next one. Wednsday I was pist off along with 3 other people.
Aparently the staff shortages preclude someone coming along to the stops for the 70 express and putting a notice up! (Not that many stops for the 70 express either) Or coming along with some whiteout or white tape to tape over the offending times info at the bus stops! This no tell attitude cost me two half hours of extra wait out in sidney and caused me to miss a function. The other sickening thing is that there were alternative slightly earlier busses that meant 15 minutes longer on the bus but would have got me to my destination at a decent time.
4 hours of other peoples time was lost at that bus stop along with mine. So every day until they white out the times, people will miss the bus and lose leisure time and miss appointments and be annoyed at the busses in general. There is a better way. Whiteout and posted notice and common sense.
I was out in Sidney today and the offending misinformation is still on the bus timetable!
So some poor bastards will be fooled again.
I told a lady bus driver why the bus didnt come.
She was just stunned that her scheduleing dept could be so inept!
I wonder how many other busses have been canceled without notice? The bus drivers get such abuse over this stuff but it is the great minds higher up who should be fired for allowing such simple stupidity to occur.
I didnt have a permenent marker with me to warn people of the missing bus. This and a couple of letters to the papers might help? I do not know.

From: Victoria Bc | Registered: Jan 2005  |  IP: Logged
jas
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9529

posted 30 October 2008 10:33 PM      Profile for jas     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Hmm, memories of Translink.

In Gordon Campbell world what we came to think of as public services with public accountability took on the tone and behaviour of private enterprises with no need for accountability. Entire government branches overnight became stingy and covert, informing you that you have no unconditional right to service or even information, that you should be grateful for what you get.

It's paving the privatization way. Reducing service, lowering expectations.


From: the world we want | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged
Brian White
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8013

posted 01 November 2008 12:57 PM      Profile for Brian White   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I talked to them today and that bus should be on again next week. Shortstaffed last week.
But I still think the option of using white tape over posted bus times at bus stops (that are not going to come for a few days) should be used.
The bus company will have its bouts of flu and so forth and will ocasionally be short staffed.
I do not blame Campbell for this.
There is a lack of planning and thought in the scheduling dept at bc transit in victoria.
All good companys have a quality assurance plan where thought is given to preserving company image when things go wrong.

From: Victoria Bc | Registered: Jan 2005  |  IP: Logged
old_bolshie
recent-rabble-rouser
Babbler # 15487

posted 02 November 2008 04:56 PM      Profile for old_bolshie     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
4 people waiting a half hour in a small town on southern Vancouver Island really is a minor matter.

Yes I know Sidney I cycled there & back this past June from Vancouver, it's a nice enough place but sometime I wonder if people who live that have enough to do.


From: vancouver-by-the-sea | Registered: Sep 2008  |  IP: Logged
Brian White
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8013

posted 03 November 2008 12:23 AM      Profile for Brian White   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
It is 2 person hours wasted at one stop on one of the days. There are other stops on that route too.
I was supposed to go babysit a kid one of the days. It is not professional to cancel a bus for a couple of days or more and not put a notice up for the public. There are transit officials who could put those notices out easily as part of their job. They drive around the different routes in cars.
I do not live in Sidney. I know very few people who could cycle to victoria from sidney after 8 hours of rockwork.
quote:
Originally posted by old_bolshie:
4 people waiting a half hour in a small town on southern Vancouver Island really is a minor matter.

Yes I know Sidney I cycled there & back this past June from Vancouver, it's a nice enough place but sometime I wonder if people who live that have enough to do.



From: Victoria Bc | Registered: Jan 2005  |  IP: Logged

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