9626 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

If the searches were selective we'd get the argument that police are profiling people, and that gets a lot of people worked up.

 

Zero tolerance policies are the easiest and most sensible.

[VicHockeyFan]

Zero tolerance policies are the easiest and most sensible.

 

Ya, that's always the best way.  No discretion, everyone must work like a zombie.  Give me a break.

[Bingo]

How many bootleggers are there in Victoria.

VHF...any stats?

[sebberry]

No, I think we're turning the corner. The no booze policy on BC Transit buses is making a difference and stepped up patrols/bag checks within a specific zone downtown is too.

 

It also helps that Jul 1 hasn't been on a "party night" for a few years...

 

[VicHockeyFan]

How many bootleggers are there in Victoria.

VHF...any stats?

 

There is lots of booze on the #50 bus on every other weekend, not sure why Canada Day has to be the big clamp-down day.

 

No stats on bootleggers, but the kids get it somewhere, likely the old-fashioned way, older siblings and friends etc.

[Nparker]

It also helps that Jul 1 hasn't been on a "party night" for a few years...

Then we're in trouble over the next couple of years:

July 1, 2016 = Friday

July 1, 2017 = Saturday

July 1, 2018 = Sunday (yes, less of an issue, but many people will have the next day off in lieu of the stat falling on a weekend)

[sebberry]

I moved VHF's Translink vote post to the thread I started here: http://vibrantvictor...marked-“noâ€/  to keep this thread on the Victoria transit system  

[insanelydeadlydisease]

I think all humans should be banned from downtown during Canada day. Much safer and more sensible. 

[Mike K.]

No, just humans who don't understand how to consume liquor responsibly.

[talldude123]

No, I think we're turning the corner. The no booze policy on BC Transit buses is making a difference and stepped up patrols/bag checks within a specific zone downtown is too.

 

 

I never saw a single bag checked on Canada Day. Then again, I was only out until the early afternoon. 

[tedward]

Intolerance or incompetence? Does BC Transit harbour homophobes who would seek to sabotage the Pride Festival or are they simply incompetent? Either way someone should be fired for the performance yesterday.

 

As a resident of James Bay I have come to accept that weekend service is problematical. Buses running late or particular runs happening not at all is a regular occurrence. Yesterday however, being Sunday and the day of the Pride Parade and Festival, was a total farce.

 

Having checked the schedule online and noted the advisories in effect (none for the 30/31 route) my wife and I made our way to the bus stop with plenty of time to spare - at least five minutes before the scheduled bus should have appeared. We appreciated that there might some traffic issues so we waited patiently and were a little confused when a bus marked NOT IN SERVICE travelled past us in the opposite direction, crossed an intersection where the normal route would have turned, and stopped to disembark passengers at a random spot on Superior Street.

 

We waited some more and eventually saw a bus marked 30 (as normal) traveling the opposite direction and made the turn as normal. Usually this is around when the bus traveling our direction arrives.

 

We waited some more.

 

Finally after waiting for more than 40 minutes in which time two scheduled buses failed to appear ( no sign of either of the two traveling in the opposite direction coming back) I phoned the help line and had a ridiculous conversation with the BC Transit employee.

 

I was told that the buses were not running but that a "shuttle" was moving people to Douglas and Belleville to catch the regular buses.  No signs had been posted at any bus stops indicating any of this. We never saw "shuttles" nor had anyone we spoken to.

 

 

So basically an annual event that brings the largest number of people into James Bay for a single afternoon was left almost totally without public transit. I understand that the parade would require re-routing but the parade and associated street closures were long over when we tried to catch a bus.

 

I heard several jokes about BC Transit not supporting Pride or being bigoted but I subscribe to general rule not to ascribe to malice that which can be explained by stupidity. I look forward to the dismissal of whoever was in charge of this total failure.

Edited by tedward, 06 July 2015 - 08:42 AM.

[CriticalMass]

Are you really surprised?
This a dysfunctional reactive company. They miss so many opportunities to be proactive but choose not to be.

I was told by a driver that on Canada Day that the extra buses were only running. in the evening with no extra help in the afternoon to get everyone into town.

I understand from drivers that if they are far enough behind in their schedule they will be told to start their run part way through skipping the first part or sometimes even the whole thing, leaving anyone waiting high and dry. They say this is a result of not being given enough time to complete the trip.

i am not sure what the answer is as I feel that complaints are just recieved and filed with no care for the public need as BC Transit thinks they are above it all and just do what they want anyway. Maybe if municiple/provincial politicians were informed of the incompetence and pressure from them was applied to BC Transit to get it together we could see an improvement. Until then it will just be status quo and nothing will change.

[spanky123]

^^ BC Transit has an app that you can download for free which gives regular updates.

[tedward]

^^ BC Transit has an app that you can download for free which gives regular updates.

 

LOL. So assuming I had a smart phone and data available and BC Transit had actually made an update in the 10 minutes from the time I checked to when we arrived at the bus stop to find no notice posted I guess that might have been useful. 

 

Any other time and place that bus stops are closed signs/placards are fastened to the poles indicating what is happening.

 

There were multiple failures in this instance and no excuses are viable when there was no traffic obstruction and plenty of forewarning for Transit staff.

[VicHockeyFan]

BC Transit is pleased to announce it plans to purchase and install a Trekker Breeze + automated voice annunciation device on every bus in the Victoria Regional Transit System starting this fall.

The implementation will occur in stages starting with 25 buses being equipped in August to conduct final road tests. The remainder of the fleet will be outfitted, beginning in September.

“This product supports the needs of our visually-impaired customers and our operators while also respecting taxpayers,” said Manuel Achadinha, President and CEO of BC Transit. “I thank the Canadian Federation of the Blind and Unifor 333 for working with us to find a cost effective product.”

 

http://bctransit.com...d=1403643473240

[lanforod]

Somebody there must read VV.

[Mike K.]

Brilliant. This is great. Now give us GPS and we're golden.

[VicHockeyFan]

The price seems right.  Obviously this thing works off GPS, too bad the receiver can not be used to run the GPS > online system we've been calling for.

[Mike K.]

Well, maybe there's a way to bridge the two, but one step at a time?

[sebberry]

I'm guessing they're getting a deal on the $799 SRP of the device, but it begs the question - why roll out something that's not going to support future location services?