🚀 go-pugleaf

chanp@direct.ca (Patrick Chan) wrote:

>Sometimes, the wait can stretch out for upwards of 2 hours.... usually
>for some unexplained reason...   A couple of summers ago, it seemed
>like one of the afternoon 403's disappeared from service.  When you're
>talking about a frequency of 1 an hour, a missing bus translates to a
>2  hour wait (assuming I just missed one).

The 403 base service is 30 minutes Monday thru Saturday.

(stuff deleted)
>I think that BC
>Transit should consider implementing is someting similar to OC Transpo
>in Ottawa...  an automated schedule update.   Each stop had a phone
>number to call...  the call went to an automated system that informed
>the caller of when the next bus is to arrive, or if there were any
>schedule changes due to traffic or mechanical failure or whatever.
>Or is this already in place?   

This would require a vehicle location system.  Something that Transit
looked at and shelved due to cost versus return (some 8 million
dollars).
Information is a bug-bearer for most transit systems.  People want to
know how long they'll have to wait (nobody likes to wait) but the
larger the system grows the more difficult and costly it is to
disseminate information to the public.  Being that transit systems are
funded from the public purse, cost is always a consideration.