🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <4mjo5u$dh5@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>, szagar@unixg.ubc.ca (Suzan Zagar)
wrote:

> These buses are STILL below the normal height of a car. That should be 
> some concern in an accident. Unfortunately we tend to wait until a 
> serious accident has occured and somebody has been killed or injured 
> before realizing a basic mistake which testing does not always pick up. 
> The lift chairs at Whistler?? were considered tested and safe, until 
> somebody was actually killed. Now the chairs have been or will be replaced.

The offer to attach the spec sheet is available to you.  Send me an e-mail
and I'll attach it.  Perhaps from your more enlightened perch, you might
grace us all with specific examples of where these coaches are dangerous? 
I agree, testing isonly that.  But since this equipment has been in
service for a number of years elsewhere, you obviously have some data to
share with us?  Or is this just your "opinion"?

> This is still no excuse for decreasing the leg space in the design. I am
> short (5.1'), and even I always get cramped for leg space on the new
> buses. I have a 45 minute ride to work twice a day, and believe me,
> experiencing this leg cramping for and hour and a half every day is not
> too thrilling. Also, people with leg circulation problems could experience
> damage and lack of blood flow. We are not talking about the discomfort
> of a small group of tall people. This is about the comfort of everybody.
> Actually, I thought these new buses were actually a little bigger. I heard
> that some routes on the North Shore were unable to take these buses
> because they were wider than the old ones, and there is not enough room in
> the lane, especially around the mountains. Apparently the roads have to be
> widened or something... 

First, If you have complaints, why not do the constructive thing and call
or write BC Transit instead of just complaining?  As for road width, these
coaches are not significantly different than the New Flyer D40 coaches
that are already in service on the North Shore.

> Except that with the new buses, a single wheelchair rider requires that 4 
> seats be abandoned to accommodate the wheelchair. On the old buses, I 
> think it was 2 seats.

That is incorrect.  To accommodate a wheelchair or scooter requires three
seats on all the accessible equipment.  One forward facing double seat
folds up, and one centre facing single seat folds as well.  The low floor
losses two seats overall due to the fact that the front wheel wells
intrude into the passenger space now.  In the step up coaches, there is a
seat over the wheel well on both sides.  That has nothing to do with
wheelchairs.

> I think it would be nice if BC transit consulted the riders on their
> choice of new buses. Have people rate and vote for a particular bus before
> buying a whole fleet and discovering problems afterwards. I presume that
> people using these buses in Victoria, and in the other major transit areas
> in North America have the same problems that have been discussed here.
> Also, the previous buses with wheelchair lifts were STILL pretty new! What
> happened to them? 

BC Transit *does* consult with passengers, and very extensively at that. 
What they have failed to do was to ask you specifically.  Equipment
purchases are not "voted" on because there is an awful lot more to the
requirement than just what looks or feels nice.  As for the lift equipped
equipment, some of it dates back to 1987 models which were "retrofitted"
with lifts after the fact.  All of this vintage are still on the road in
our fleet.

Just for the interest of those concerned, there is a transit newsgroup
that discusses such issues all over North America. 
misc.transport.urban-transit regularly discusses such issues.  Also, feel
free to contact BC Transit anytime you have an observation good or bad. 
They are a service company just like any other.  And they do respond to
rider concerns.

George

=====================================================================
George Johansen - johansen@portal.ca

The opinions expressed here are not necessarily the official 
platform or policy of any political party or company.
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