Buses World News

* Against the "BUS BUNCHING" - USA: In Houston, Texas: ** Too, PAYING FARES with Smartphone

* Texas - Metro tries a High-Tech Way to keep buses running on time

-- “Bus Bunching” is a common complaint for many transit riders. That’s when buses get off-schedule and follow each other on the same route... A bus in Houston can easily get stopped at a railroad crossing or maybe it loses time because of detours. Then you have a situation where the next bus is following directly behind it... To keep buses evenly spaced, Metro’s Tom Lambert says they’re now trying computer-aided dispatch. They’re doing it at Houston Transtar, the region’s traffic control center... They’re now using the computer dispatch system on Houston’s busiest route. That’s the 82 Westheimer, which has buses running every six minutes during peak periods... After testing the system on Westheimer, Lambert says they’ll look to expand to all the city’s high-frequency routes...
(Photo by Michael Hagerty - Houston Public Media: Metro bus in downtown Houston) -- Houston, TXS, USA - Houston Pubic M3edia, by GAIL DELAUGHTER - JANUARY 28, 2016

* Texas - Houston transit riders could soon have a new option for paying their fare

-- Metro is currently testing a mobile ticketing app that would allow riders to purchase single fare tickets and day passes... Metro has enlisted volunteers to test a new mobile ticketing app... If you’re a regular transit rider, you’ve probably found yourself in a situation where just can’t scrape up that last nickel. Or maybe you’ve forgotten your Q-Card... But what if you could pay for all your transit trips by smartphone? ... They’re already doing it in Austin and Dallas. Now Houston riders could soon enjoy the same convenience...
(Photo by Gail Delaughter/Houston Public Media - Metro could soon let riders pay by Smartphone) -- Houston, TXS, USA - Houston Public Media - 18 Jan 2016

Labels: passenger's complain, passengers transports industry

PASSENGERS' CLAIM * UK - Concern at 'life-line' bus cuts

Cuts to a rural bus service will leave many without a link to nearby towns for work and shopping, it is claimed

Gwynedd ,UK -BBC News -11 June 2008: -- One woman said she collected 250 names on a petition demanding the number 38 service, between Barmouth and Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd, is protected... Sarah Gilbert said many would be left stranded if the service was cut... A spokesman for Gwynedd County Council said a review of public transport had been held recently and the new 38 service would reflect this... (Picture: The bus service runs 10 times a day each way at present)

Labels: passenger's complain

PASSENGERS' COMPLAINS * UK - Bus route cut causes fury in Wall Heath

Wall Heath residents say the axing of a vital transport link will leave their community isolated from major services

Wall Heat,UK -Halesowennews, by Martyn Smith -2 May 2008: -- ... The 261 bus route from Wall Heath to Dudley will reach the end of the line on Sunday April 27, leaving no direct connection for people in the area to Russells Hall hospital... Angry residents say they are disgusted the route has been abandoned by bosses at Travel West Midlands... National Express West Midlands say the 261 has been withdrawn due to the very low number of people who use the service and the new system is easier for users to understand... (End of the line - Bus protestors gather at a 261 stop in Wall Heath)

Labels: passenger's complain

Complaints * UK - On buses go to top

Kirkburton,UK -The Huddersfield Examiner (Huddersfield,UK), by Nick Lavigueur -Apr 26 2008: -- Parish council has taken its campaign for bus improvements to a higher level... Councillors have written to all five West Yorkshire MPs asking them to support local transport proposals to be put before Parliament this year... If approved the Local Transport Bill would give local authorities more power to regulate public transport operators and would allow the creation of an influential bus passenger group...

Labels: passenger's complain

* Ireland - Why the Dublin Bus 141 route is needed

Irish Transport observed and explored

Dublin,Ireland -AllAboutBuses -8 April 2008: -- ... The Department of Transport have done the travelling public a great disservice by delaying the licencing of the the 141 route... As can be seen in this photo, after a 41 had been and gone, some passengers chose to remain for the next Swords Express service (nice bus stop branding, but very little on the bus itself to tell you who it is or where its going)... The travelling public are perfectly capable of making this kind of decision, and there is no reason why we could not have alternative services along all the main corridors, with normal stopping bus services, and higher-priced express services offering speed or extra comfort... There is nothing more pointless in transport terms than a QBC with too few buses, and an unserved demand. This just encourages motorists back into their cars... WAKE UP Department of Transport!

Labels: passenger's complain

COMPLAINS * Australia - Here's why we're missing the bus

Herded like cattle ... packed in like sardines ... perhaps the new saying should be squashed like inner-westies on a bus?

Cumberland,Australia -The Glebe (Sydney,AUST) -2 April, 2008: -- ... Hundreds of commuters from suburbs like Marrickville, Newtown and Camperdown battle every day to catch buses into the city and back home again at night... They can only watch helplessly, with mounting anger and exasperation, as yet another full bus sails past... Half an hour later, many are still standing at bus stops, cursing the State Government and its exhortations to catch public transport... The stress is affecting bus drivers too... Rail Tram and Bus Union president Raul Baonza said buses to and from Newtown attracted the most complaints from drivers who had to face frustrated passengers... Passenger numbers were up 1.4 per cent at peak times along the Parramatta Rd corridor in the year to February 2008 105,000 more passengers over the morning and afternoon peaks... A State Transport Authority spokesman said extra buses had been put on at busy times and this was monitored...

Labels: passenger's complain

TROUBLE * UK - Disabled man ‘can't board buses’

Oxford,England,UK -The Oxford Mail, by Tom Shepherd -5 Feb 2008: -- A disabled pensioner has complained he is being squeezed off buses by mums with buggies... Both Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach have expressed sympathy for Bob Light, 65, who was unable to board four buses in succession outside The Swan in Cowley Road because pushchairs occupied the wheelchair space... Mr Light, from Headington, said many mothers were extremely considerate, but claimed that his attempts to travel into the city centre were becoming a nightmare... (Picture: Wheelchair user Bob Light waits for a bus in London Road, Headington)

Labels: passenger's complain

* India - City transport diminishes with Sunset

Srinagar,Jammu and Kashmir,India -The GreaterKashmir.com, by RUHEELA GUL -Dec 31, 2007: -- Thousands of commuters in city have to tread kilometers in evening hour, as no transport facility is available for them... The desperation on part of both men and women commuters could be gauged from their gestures right on the side of the road or even they jump sometimes into the middle seeking lift from private vehicles which could be dangerous for women commuters... Even those matadors that are plying in the evening on visualizing fewer crowds in the vehicle shift commuters to other vehicles, which are crowded... (Video from YouTube, by fabriziofabiani -June 18, 2007: "This Video Leh Srinagar, Kashmir")

Labels: passenger's complain

Passengers' Complains * UK - On the Buses

However as every Londoner knows, the problem with travelling bus in London today, is that you are likely to suffer serious injuries as you are thrown around the bus interior

London,UK -The Polytechnic, by Jon Goodbun -16 Aug 2007: -- ... A number of recent reports have documented the rise in passenger complaints, and have typically described these as complaints about the lack of driving skills... However, it seems to me that whist some of the drivers may not care about the experience of their passengers, it is a design failure which is at issue here. Quite simply, from observation it is clear that the main problems are occurring in new buses which seem to be far to powerful for the job required. My driver was able to accelerate strongly from a stopping position, and would then need to brake hard to stop. In both cases we were thrown around. Yet there is no need for buses in London to move like this. It is well documented that the average speed of traffic in London is 10 mph, so I would say there is no need for buses to have engines that go faster than say 30mph. Equally, there is no need for these vehicles to be able to accelerate quickly... (Picture: Routemaster -front- buses did not have the excessive power problems suffered by more recent rear engine vehicles -rear)

Labels: passenger's complain

* UK - Blunder buses driving us mad

London,UK -Metro -August 9, 2007: -- Surly bus drivers are turning London's buses into trouble deckers, it appears... Unhappiness about the behaviour of bus drivers contributed to a 15 per cent rise in complaints to the London Travel- Watch transport users' organisation in the past year... Passengers were also complaining more about the driving ability of bus drivers. It wasn't just buses coming under attack. Expensive train tickets also concerned many passengers, TravelWatch said in its annual report... (Picture: Drivers angering travellers)

Labels: passenger's complain