Bus Angst #32
Posted by noizyboy on Tuesday, 13 Feb 2007
Two words: bloody buses.
Actually, here's a few more. This particular Wellingtonista had to wait forty minutes last evening for even one bus to turn up on his route. Of course, when one did, it was packed to the gunnels, so it sailed by the stop, as did the next, and the next. Finally, one only moderately packed bus did find space to fit me on board, so I did eventually get home, but what irks me is that in the forty minutes spent waiting at the bus-stop, I saw three Kilbirnie buses go by (the second two weren't even that full), and two Houghton Bay buses. I mean, if they're going to cancel buses, couldn't they be a little more even-handed about it all?
Bus routes affected by the cancellations are listed here. I find it hard to believe that there are no #1, #4 and #32 cancellations after 4:30 today. As a precaution, I plan to back-walk a few stops to the Beehive end of Lambton Quay, to ensure, at least, that I can get onto a bus that will take me home, should one deem to actually turn up. 
Seems Stagecoach fail to realise just how many passsengers live in Brooklyn/Kingston or Vogeltown area and use the Kingston 7 route these days. The service is appalling - always late (or no bus turns up at all) & by the time it gets to even the top end of Lambton Quay - standing room only! We're all sick of it - especially as we stand and watch 3 Kilburnie or Lyall bay buses in a row sweep past.
As for the Vogeltown - Kaori 21 service - it's abysmal - 1 bus per hour after 8.45am - pathetic!! And evenings too.
And to think that the Regional Council wants to spend only 10% of its new infrastructure money on public transport! If you're fed up with all these problems, and want to make sure that public transport gets the drivers, buses, trains and tracks needed to deliver a decent service, then you've got until Friday to make a submission.
I can't help but think of the irony. Many's the time I've stood watching (seemingly) hundreds of Island Bay buses go by while I waited for Houghton Bay #23.
But you're right neither of us should have to wait for so long. The bus that I hate more than anything is the "Not in Service" bus. I hate them SO MUCH.
Yeah I was going to say that too, there are ALWAYS Island Bay and #7 buses, there are never any number #2 or #5s!
But we're not alone!
Article 1
Article 2
This isn't my story rather one i was e-mail but still a very very good read.
After finishing another lovely day at work I waited at the Kirks bus stop for any of the 8 buses that take me to my humble abode. Suddenly 3 buses came along, and half of the crowd waiting at the bus-stop hustled into action. Murphys Law states that of the 3 buses approaching the bus stop, only 1 went where I was going and that the vast majority of people were getting on my bus. I waited at the back hoping for another bus, but alas it was all in vain and the Happy Valley 4 was my only available option, so I got on for a very interesting ride.
Due to the large amount of people getting on at my stop, the bus was now borderline capacity. At the next stop as people start to amble onto the bus the driver yells at the crowd, "Island Bay and Happy Valley only!". The response to the brave person who asked why was "I have already explained it!" A boy aged about 14 attempted to pay for one zone which isn't enough to get to Island Bay. The driver then patronizingly questions, "Did you not hear me? Island Bay and Happy Valley ONLY!" The teen responded, "Ok, I'll go to Island Bay then." This didn't gel with the driver who promptly told him, "You don't actually want to Island Bay, you only want to get on the bus, so GET OFF!" He promptly got off and the driver sped away.
As we approached the Willis St bus-stop the driver asked if anyone wanted to get off, getting no response from the passengers he drove past the stop to the dismay of waiting horde of would be public transport users. The driver stopped the bus just after the bus stop, stood in the door way and proceeded to scream to the crowd so all could hear as well as on the bus. "I have just taken a $13000 pay cut, that is $249 a week people.(At this point he started spitting while he was shouting) 7 drivers quit last week, 5 yesterday and 8 tomorrow and we are already 33 drivers short. Some guy has come down from Auckland and reorganised all the shifts so that none of the drivers have enough time to get in between any of the shifts. If you are annoyed about waiting for buses I recommend you complain. They don't care about me or you so you should complain to the people who run this company." The stunned silence of the crowd was quickly drowned out by other traffic.
The traffic lights were next to suffer the wrath of the bus driver when he abused them for having a "six second delay" which is apparently a bad thing. The crowd tittered at the outburst as the reasoning behind the drivers behaviour had now been somewhat explained, it seemed more comical than psychotic. After a few more people had been refused entry for not going to "Happy Valley/Island Bay" and a select few were let on before we approached the traffic jammed Kent Terrace.
Driver wasn't in the mood for waiting in traffic and as he sped up Victoria St said "I am about to do something I don't usually do". We proceeded to turn into Brougham St but not before hitting the side mirror of a turning truck with a middle window of the bus. The truck attempted to reverse out of the situation, with the tyres squealing it managed to move back so the bus could turn. The driver continued on his arc until there was a loud scraping noise, the sound of the front bumper eating the pavement. "Don't worry about that folks, that is what the metal bars at the front of the bus are for." Half the bus burst into laughter, the other were silent in a state of shock staring stoney-eyed into the distance or nervously at each other. The attempts to reverse the bus bursting at the seams off the footpath were all in vain. The offerings of a push from various passengers not so scared by the ordeal seemed to spur the driver into putting the pedal to the metal and managing to reverse the bus so we could get around the corner.
Speeding along the back streets of Mt Vic the bus was now alive with whispering chatter about the most recent highlight of the trip. Then the light and bell went for someone wanting to get off. The driver slowed and turned around and said "Sorry, did someone want to get off on Kent Terrace?" A young Chinese girl, slowly raised her hand and meekly responded "Yes!" He pulled over at the top of Pirie St and apologised to her as she got off the bus and then off again we went. The man on the mission took everything in his stride, including traffic islands. The people at the back of the bus weren't so lucky when thrown high off their seat as he drove over one.
The next obstacle was crossing two lanes of traffic at the basin next to Regional Wines and Spirits. A lady in a car trying to get across was the next person to bear the brunt of the drivers issues. He held down the buses beastly horn in stopping a few times to explain how one should navigate this intersection. "They are letting this lady through but she wont go through!" A lady next to me quietly suggested that it may have something to do with a certain bus driver. More and more people continued to cringe at the drivers new found love of the horn. To the extreme amusement to all onboard, the honking ceased for a moment while the bus driver advised, "I am being a bit aggressive. " The whole bus was now laughing at what seemed a very large understatement. "It is only to get her through because she wouldn't go" he attempted to reason for the most recent outburst.
Now we started travelling around the basin and stopped at the next bus-stop with the usual discrimination against non-Happy Valley and Island Bay dwellers. I could see that I was on the home stretch for my stop and wondered if I dared to press the button. The button was pressed and light went off but the bus didn't stop. It went sailing past my stop so called out in a questioning voice, "Driver?", to which I was told by the driver and various passengers that the bus doesn't stop there. Unfortunately I was only just finding this out and I found myself going further and further away from my destination. "Ok, when ever you are ready then Driver" I answered back to the amusement off all the surrounding passengers.
As the bus pulled into the bus-stop the driver commented that "my wives boss is on this bus, but I won't point her out because that would just be mean". I sort of felt sad that I stepped off the bus as it had been one of the most memorable bus rides I have ever had. The entertainment and horrors seemed to stand out as one hell of a ride.
brilliant.
Utterly staggering.
So is this all a result of Infratil buying Stagecoach NZ? It hasn't been a great couple of weeks for them...
I thought Infratil were supposed to be the good guys, at least compared to the infamous union-busting reputation of Stagecoach? Maybe it's all some sort of brinksmanship related to their "threatening to quit" if the ownership models aren't to their liking.
Or may it's the regional council trying to put people off public transport so they don't have to pay for any more buses and trains.
Murphys law says the bus you want is the one that is always unavalable. Seems like if you are coming from the eastern suburbs you are screwed. Poor drivers are fraught with angst and we as passengers are all at risk of injury.
After 2 weeks of crap 30 ("express" from Miramar) a lady cracked this morning (around 8:20am) and called the 0800 on a poster. We had the pleasure of listening in as she was passed from phone number to phone number before being cut off. She called back and told the first person, "Don't put me through! You listen and take this down", she then proceeded to tell her it was for us!
After that the bus was buzzing conversation and people were being a wee little #31 Suffers community - so something good came out of it.
Of course the service is SHITE! Um, can anyone tell me (having returned from climes afar) why?
AND (finally) - this ain't gonna do the rep of the city much good - so much for the, "At least we have public transport unlike the other cities of NZ" - we might have it but it's locked in the garage with no-one to drive it around!
Who's a naughty boy. Don't do it again!
"Greater Wellington councillors have warned bus operator Stagecoach Wellington that it was failing its customers and that its poor service during the last two weeks would no longer be tolerated..."
Mike
It's interesting actually, last night the number of #1 and #4s seemed to be back to normal, but they were running extremely late.
The driver we got actually gave the entire bus a running commentary of the drive, and he blamed the delays on the bypass.
Something was definitely holding up traffic. The drive through town was a crawl, Kent Tce was log-jammed, and north-bound traffic was backed up all the way to Newtown along Adelaide Rd/Riddiford St. I don't think I've ever seen it quite that bad before, and, judging by the snail's pace we made around the Basin, it wasn't much better for people heading through the Vic Tunnel towards the motorway.
Thanks Mike (not myself, "ShoppingFix" Mike) - let;s hope it gets better
@ MikeyMike:
Does "Ratepayers subsidise Stagecoach Wellington to the tune of $11m a year. The council’s policy is not to pay for services that are not delivered and we fully intend to implement that policy in this case"
mean that we, the people, are getting money back off Stagecoach?
@ James:
Traffic was terrible through town but seemed normal along the Quay and the Hutt Road was almost empty. It was even backed up most of the way down Tasman St. I blame some random roadworks-school day combo.
It's interesting to note that Wellington's public transport has one of the lowest subsidies in the world: and that was before the recent fare rises!
Post new comment