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More People needed on buses
Newcastle STA buses only carry 1.3 people for every 1 km travelled (from their Annual Report) That means that each bus has room for another 50 people!
For a better bus service we need to get more people to use buses.
Keeping the existing passengers using the sercice is important but the big issue is how do we get non bus users to start using the bus.
I believe smaller buses with a much greater frequency, faster travel times and greater variety of destinations is the way to go.
If you dont agree can you suggest some other ways of encouraging new people to use the buses?
Relates to
survey: The bus network needs to be updated?
Comment 1 24 Nov 2007, 3:14 PM
Polite drivers, clean buses and regular services might help. Not being made to feel like a criminal for not having the right change.
Comment 1.1 28 Nov 2007, 5:50 PM
Having been behind the wheel of a bus it is sometime hard to show a happy face after you have beem verbaly abused because you smiled and greated someone earler. it has happened to me several times while driving. so you just go numb and drive the best you can and try to stay on time. the people who need change slow down the times you get and some times it is hard to lose time to stay on the set time as well. It is not an easy job to do and to be able to please everyone all the time. I found that if I was running late I would always get every red light but if I wanted to lose some time they were always green. as for the smaller buses Newcastle had them and they got Man buses that were not suitable for Austraian's hot weather and one caught fire and was destroyed near Charlestown.
Comment 2 25 Nov 2007, 10:06 PM
Sorry to point this out, but there actually is a sign "please have the correct fare ready" as you enter a STA bus.. it's not too hard to extend that courtesy to the driver and the other passengers you are holding up by not having the correct money ready.
Comment 2.1 26 Nov 2007, 3:31 PM
Oh silly me - there's a sign is there? well that makes it ok to be rude. Why not put up a sign on all the stops saying 'Buses will be habitually late, crowded and dirty' and that would make the whole service ok. You seem to be pushing a holier than thou public transport platform saying people should leave their cars at home but at the same time you seem to be totally resistant to changes to service standards that might induce people to travel on buses.
Comment 3 26 Nov 2007, 4:32 PM
I don't know who you are blakey but I find myself agreeing on this issue too. Polite bus drivers would be a great start and it really shouldn't be incumbent on the purchaser of any good to make life easy for the provider - it's up to the STA to take a customer focussed approach and make every single part of the experience as enjoyable as possible. Having said that, I've spent a bit of time in the UK where they have the smaller 20 seat buses. They're great. So I endorse Bigfeller's comment as well.
Comment 4 26 Nov 2007, 7:55 PM
For every rude bus driver there are over 10 even ruder passengers. Especially those who spend 5 minutes fiddling for change (even though they've had ages at the bus stop to do it) or those who spend even longer asking questions about travel, to which the answers could have been found by being well-prepared and having a timetable.
Comment 4.1 3 Dec 2007, 1:36 PM
Maybe if timetables were more clear, e.g. look at Melbourne's system, numbered route stops and destination times.
Comment 4.1.1 4 Dec 2007, 5:28 PM
We do have numbered route stops and specific destination times. Just visit www.131500.info. You can look up a stop's number and download chronological or route-by-route lists of all services that stop there seven days a week, or look at when your service is due to arrive at a specific stop further down the line.
Comment 5 4 Dec 2007, 3:15 PM
Quote from blakey: "Oh silly me - there's a sign is there? well that makes it ok to be rude." This kind of attitude is pretty unhelpful. Having the correct fare is a basic courtesy to all the other passengers and bus driver instead of them waiting while someone fumbles around - THAT is rude. Some of the folks posting here seem to think that the entire STA system exists for them alone.. You do realise that a driver is operating a heavy vehicle, in addition to being a conductor and cashier? Do yourself and the system a favour - extend some basic courtesy and it might just well come back to you on a bus.