Minister: West End Bus Improvements
Bus Operators will allow passengers to board and disembark between the last stop at Watford Bridge and the new depot, Transport Minister Derrick Burgess said this morning [Jan.3].
Minister Burgess said, “Discussions have taken place between the Department of Public Transportation and the Bermuda Industrial Union to cement this arrangement thereby ensuring that passengers are provided with consistent service between these locations.”
The Minister’s full statement follows below:
Good morning and Happy New Year.
The Department of Public Transportation within the Ministry of Transport provides bus service from Dockyard to St. George’s seven days a week. We strive to create schedules that will serve the most people as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.
We don’t always get it right and often it takes the public to voice their concerns so that we are made aware of gaps in service delivery.
Such a gap did occur in the West End of the island and today it is my pleasure to announce that the Department of Public Transportation and the Bermuda Industrial Union have come together to agree to increase customer service to the travelling public.
To provide some background for you, you will be are aware that the Department of Public Transportation relocated the west end bus depot from Beacon Hill Road, Sandys to Pender Road in Dockyard.
As most of the existing bus routes in the west begin and end at the Watford Bridge bus stop, it was arranged that bus operators travelling from Dockyard to Watford Bridge would service passengers to and from the new depot at the time of the move.
This did not fully materialize at the time as some early morning commuters were still required to walk to Watford to catch the bus that was leaving Pender Road.
This was not a formal requirement and some members of the public have asked if this could be formalized as an official route for passengers. With this most recent decision, our commuters will be able to wait for the bus at the nearest bus stop.
I’m happy to report today that discussions have taken place between the Department of Public Transportation and the Bermuda Industrial Union to cement this arrangement thereby ensuring that passengers are provided with consistent service between these locations.
Both parties have mutually agreed that Bus Operators will allow passengers to board and disembark between the last stop at Watford Bridge and the new depot.
We recognize that it is important to work together toward the common goal of providing quality service to the public. We look forward to continue partnering together with the Union and to improving union relations and most importantly, to improving our product for the people of Bermuda.
Thank you.
Election comming.
Why does the east end always get treated like a step child? Tourist would like to travel to St. Georges just as much as Sandys. So, why is it that its only the west end that gets better public transportation? St. Georges has more historical relevance than Dockyard which only has the one museum that takes less than an hour to cover. We need more busses & ferries that run east not west with stops at Fort St. Catherine, Tabaco Bay & St. Davids Light House. Who makes these backwards decision & why are they getting paid with our tax dollars to make them?
Mr. Chong, no Chinese in St. George. Nothing left except Doc Yard. Ching Chong.
Remember, this is the year of the ‘Cog’.
Chow Chow.
No worries Terry you can still get your favorite dish Cream Asum Yunguy from The Golden Dragon still open in St. Geo’s if Chinese is what you like. I actually prefer eating at the Tavern by the Sea where I can see nice crystal blue water scene. I suppose you might opt to eat at snorkel barf in Dockyard overlooking a garbage dump turned fake beach. A little advice if you decide to take an after meal dip. Make sure none of the water gets your mouth since I’m not sure what’s worse in there years of waste slowly seeping to the surface or what was dropped in the from the last party they had.
What’s left in St. George is a whole lot of real history, real historical architecture, real beautiful beaches & beautiful parks but if you want to hang with peter pan & the lost boys in the west who… Do believe in terry! They do! They Really do! especially in west gate! then thats your choice to go with the fake & not the real. Even if there are less restaurants and stores in the east now because of imbecilic decisions made by imbeciles tourist should still have the choice & means to see one of the most important & oldest landmarks in the history of western hemispherical civilization.
Check this out…… one Berkeley bus leaves St. David’s early and the other one goes straight out or leaves from White’s. This morning both left early and when contacted by the Barnes Corner bus driver and told she had passengers for either bus, she figured she would stop and let the passengers disembark to get on the other bus – neither of the other buses stopped. So, our children arrive to school late and either walk in from St. John’s Church or catch the bus to ole Berkeley School and walk up the hill.
This is just one incident – they really treat St. David’s as they think about us. Wake up drivers – we make note, we talk amongst ourselves and yes, we do report you. For those drivers that do service us from the heart, we appreciate you.
Perhaps we need to have Mr Esten Curtis and others giving spot checks…
Does anyone else find it completely absurd that passengers would have to walk to Watford Bridge to catch the bus when the bus was driving past them completely empty?
When the depot changed, the route should have changed at the same time. Why does PTB need BIUs permission to get the drivers to pick up passengers at a bus stop that they are driving past anyway? Who runs PTB, the government or BIU?
Somebody please explain why this scenario makes sense because I am stumped.
I don”t know if anyone noticed but the minister is in the process of improving the service in the west end by using the buses that are already traveling further west to complete their shift. The new instructions are for the operators to drop off passengers to points between Watford Bridge and Dockyard terminal as apposed to dropping all remaining passengers off at Watford Bridge and traveling to Dockyard terminal empty.
Why would the Union be involved in this? It’s only about stopping for passengers along the road from the new Bus Depot on Ireland Island to the Watford Bridge bus turn-around. Rather than pass them by and make them walk as the drivers do now. Do the drivers not have any common sense? Do they not care about these poeple? Why must drivers be TOLD to stop for passengers? Isn’t that what they are supposed to do? Drivers are hired to service passengers, not themselves. Attitudes on this Island are something else!!
Yes – why is the Union involved???? In my line of work if my boss tells me to do something it is done!! Why is this negotiated.
Because the PLP and the BIU are in bed together. And because people turn into weak little pussies when dealing with the over-the-top, illiterate, bullying “negotiating” style of the Union “leadership.”
Hey! Where did all the Union money go? Don’t you BIU members care that your union appears to have been looted by its leadership… must have learned from Ewart.
election year! PLP needs to union to endourse them. Not saying that most will vote UBP or OBA but they might stay home if they are not encouraged to vote PLP.
Added to my comment of yesterday – why doesn’t the 5:25 and the 6:15pm #3 buses from Hamilton to St. David’s not service Southside. All buses should come in on the main road and return to St. George’s via Southside. Simple as ever – I guess PTB need foreigners to tell them how the routes should go.
Sometimes it takes to obvious to slap them right in the face to do something. Now we have a grand announcement like something really great has been accomplished.
Only in Bermuda under a PLP Government.
I still don’t understand what the Union has to do with this?…. The DPT sets a route and the drives drive it… Where is there a need for “negotiations” in this?
I concur Sooo, as long as the drivers do thier alotted hours that should be it. However to make a Grand Announcement and all for something which should have been routine. i have to give Madam Premier this one though to assign Bro Derrick as the Transport Minister vs Bro Chris,let’s see.
So let me see if I got this right because I tend to be very thick: PTB bus operators will now ALLOW tax paying, bus fare paying passengers to board tax payer owned buses that are being operated on fuel paid for by taxes and bus fares being driven by operators who are paid by taxes and bus fares while the aforementioned buses are being run empty between Pender Road and Watford Bridge on taxpayer owned and financed public roads. Now if I have this all correct, let me be the first taxpaying, fare paying customer to say thank you PTB and operators for your incredible generosity and kindness to ALLOW me to board PTB buses in this circumstance. I feel so incredibly blessed.