DPT & BIU Work Towards Schedule Agreements
[Updated] The Department of Public Transportation has released the 2019 bus schedule that is scheduled to go into effect on Monday, January 21.
Officials previously said that the new schedule is designed to “temporarily reduce the number of buses required on a daily basis to a level that is sustainable, and in doing so deliver a reliable public bus service.”
It has been “developed with due consideration for public demand and fleet capacity” and will “eliminate daily cancellations related to a shortage of buses” and will be “implemented for an initial period of one year, while advancing several key initiatives designed to improve the condition of the fleet.”
Update 6.50pm: A government spokesperson said, “The Department of Public Transportation [DPT] and the Bermuda Industrial Union [BIU] are working hard to address outstanding concerns surrounding bus rosters that include multiple days of night work.
“Meetings held today between the DPT and BIU led to a better understanding of the night work issues – an area of much uncertainty and contention in the past.
“While the effective date for the bus schedule is no longer 21 January, 2019, the 2019 winter bus schedule will remain unchanged. More information regarding a new effective date will be forthcoming.
“As the review of night work is ongoing, the public may continue to view the 2019 bus schedule online at www.gov.bm/bus.
“The DPT and the BIU look forward to making necessary changes as soon as possible that will position the bus service to better serve the public.”
The full Winter Bus Schedule follows below [PDF here]:
So they are reducing the bus service to make it look like there are fewer cancellations.
The PLP, doing less with more.
So will there be a need for less bus drivers? What will happen to those drivers who are not needed. Basically guessing that we should see a reduction in staff numbers, salaries and benefits and overtime?
WOW the Canadian consultant did a pretty job!!!
Look at the colours.
Certainly worth 1.7mil!
They did. The Unions have refused every money saving schedule for years and years.
Bill, would you be willing to offer your services?
I will for $1.7mn and a 17 year timeline to get it completed!
Sign me up!
No 6:15 bus… Hope my boss will understand if I get in late.
Exactly, busses don’t pull into DockYard until after 7:30 AM. Late for work everyday for some people. They did nothing to help this situation. No forethought!
$30,000,000.00 would’ve bought us 100 new busses . Instead the last government spent it on ….. Oh never mind , they all left in private jets .
WE NEED NEW BUSSES , NOT NEW BUS SCHEDULES !
Pensioners waiting beside a blue or pink pole in adverse weather conditions wondering if the bus comes , will it break down before it reaches the desired destination.
They got new buses delivered last January that still aren’t on the road. Why?
They didn’t just leave in their private jets , they also departed in their mega yachts . But not before leaving $335 mil behind. Oh never mind.
I could have changed the font ,highlighted with 5 colours and zapped out a few times for a million jeez what a joke
That’s disgusting. The number 3 route should have more buses not less. What a joke to bring it down to 1 an hour on a weekday. Bermuda is becoming a third world country. I am fed up. Where are the protests to this for all Bermudians who rely on this service? How is everyone supposed to get on the 8.15 bus from St. George’s in the morning? Bloody load of rubbish. This is a basic public service. The government can’t resolve basic infrastructure problems clearly. And god knows what a mess this will be in the summer too.
From what I see the #3 bus is every half hour and that is more than enough as this route is one of the least utilised.
I agree with a bus every half hour, why would a small place like Bermuda need 15 min. service. Most of the time the busses during the hours 10:00 am – 3:00 pm have few passengers on them. As for the new schedules after 17 years trying to implement them finally, we have something that should work except for the too many nights’ ones. The original ones that were presented 17 years were really ridiculous as they required some operators to change shifts in Somerset, St. Georges and Hamilton and take the very same bus back to the Hamilton Depot. Some of them had at least as 7 min. turnarounds.
The turnaround was ridiculous in several spots, agreed.
What’s lacking is extended service – this isn’t about ridership numbers it’s about service for earlier and later times for those who have to work early/late. More could have been done on that front.
Everyone should be aware by now that when the PLP are the Government, finances go under and the BIU run the country ( into the ground. )
Welcome to the new Bermuda !!
They can’t organize a little bus schedule, to think they are running our island.
Anybody seen Zane. Oh must be waiting for a bus.
Well…honestly…as far as tax dollar is concerned the services that are required are in no way what we are receiving…but you don’t care do you.Breach of contract…just shut bus services down…I no longer wish my tax dollar be wasted on them.
Yesterday the government the ruling BIU said no change. You voted them in. As a lyric in a song ” we are going backwards baby”. It’s 1998-2012 same stuff. PLP not ib power its Furbert& Tweed. Wake up those voted PLP. Oh you must be blind or deaf to see the damage the PLP/BIU have done & will continue to do. Yet no protests. No marches on parliament. We are as a country in a sad state.
I am willing to bet my bottom that few who have posted here ever use public transportation, and that includes yours truly. But I agree with Clarke Lanzing Jones, every half hour should suffice.
Where are the new buses that were delivered at the start of 2018, Lavvy? Zane seems to have forgotten about them. Still being ‘fitted out for the road’, are they?
This was Roban when they got delivered a year ago:
“Mr Roban said: “Our Throne Speech agenda for a better and fairer Bermuda means we have to be able to get those who depend on public transportation to work on time. We must also ensure our children get to their classrooms and back home without incident. The Government believes in a transportation policy that promotes safety and reliability for all Bermuda citizens.”
So what happened to those 4 new buses? Where are they? How much money was wasted on them? Was Roban just talking bollocks as usual?
What happened to the “X” among of money spent on new buses???? “Wait For It”, I am hearing the sound of crickets!!! Changing the parameters of scheduling the buses is elementary. Why not take a hard look at the Bermuda bus maintenance department!! “BINGO” !!
Bermuda has a huge challenge with maintaining their buses. The Minister Of Transportation will need to-roll up his sleeves more in restructuring the buses maintenance department. The Minister Of Transportation should ride every bus route once a month. We need expansion in our bus routes; hence, absolutely not a reduction. Bermuda can implement new rules to Improve Bus Testing, Safety, and Reliability. The new bus testing rule will require newly procured buses to meet minimum thresholds in key areas such as safety, reliability, and performance. Embrace preventive maintenance strategies by increasing training in streamlining the workflow to improve safety, Reliability and the appearance of the buses inside and out.
What is this paradox? Bermudian pay more for transit and get less clean efficient public transportation. A prerequisite should be the standards to improve maintenance. STOP!! with the alleged “HEGELIAN DIALECTIC EFFECT “ ……BERMUDA GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY….perhaps, Bermuda Department of Transportation should think about privatization; furthermore,too level the playing field by having all buses safe and clean.
I Have Your Attention Too Make U Think!!