9629 replies to this topic

[Cats4Hire]

Is anyone here still taking the bus and if so have you been on one that requires you to touch the bar to open the back door? I assumed those weren't running because there's no bar outside (and having to touch the bar) but I saw one pass by me today and didn't even think about it until it was far past.

to answer this question I was in a vehicle behind one of these buses today and it stopped to pick some people up and the driver seemed to be able to open the back door just fine. Makes me wonder why they don't always since I can't imagine it's any more effort than allowing people to open it by touching the bar and closing it again.

[Victoria Watcher]

I think touching the bar is an active motion. it’s safer than opening the door blind (in a busy bus) and having an unknowing person that happens to be leaning against it fall out. back in the day you did not have to touch the door/handle.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 April 2020 - 01:56 PM.

[Mike K.]

Right. And back then you couldn’t stand in the stairwell that lead to the rear doors.

[North Shore]

I am curious, has anyone used a bus lately?   Over the last few days the 21 and 22 I see when walking dogs are completely empty

Still commuting to Vancouver for work.  Using the 70 on this side, and the 620 on the other.  Both are pretty much deserted - 3 or 4 people going to the ferry on this side, and perhaps double that coming back, depending on which sailing you are getting off.  the 620 in Tsaww...is exactly the same.

For a starter step, BC transit could cancel all of the #70 buses until numbers are back up on the #72

[Victoria Watcher]

Until the world turned upside down a couple of months ago, having a transit system that was heavily sustained by riders – rather than taxpayers – was considered a public-policy victory.

 

Robust fare revenues in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto meant cities spent less proportionally topping up the systems with property-tax money than places such as Edmonton, where ridership was lower.

 

But those cities are victims of their own success as ridership plummets during the pandemic, leaving gaping holes in their operating budgets. Civic officials have responded by making painful service cuts and mayors are pleading for federal help.

 

According to information from the cities, more than half of transit in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto was financed through fares in 2019: 55 per cent, 57 per cent and 69 per cent respectively. Fares made up 40 per cent of Edmonton’s transit revenue in that year.

 

“How much operating pressure they’re under now is because of how successful they were in the past,” says consultant Tamim Raad, a former planning director of B.C.’s transit agency, TransLink.

 

https://www.theglobe...b Article Links

 

 

presumably may 1st will mark the first month that people really stopped buying monthly passes in some cities.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 April 2020 - 09:41 AM.

[Cats4Hire]

Rear door entering and not collecting fees extended to May 31 https://www.bctransi...d=1529708979090

[Victoria Watcher]

fare collection and front door loading to resume June 1.

https://www.vicnews....oading-in-june/

[Nparker]

The CoV better get those "free" youth bus passes distributed.

[Midnightly]

The CoV better get those "free" youth bus passes distributed.

but that would mean opening up city hall for people to come and go as they please (not by appointment) wouldn't that go against social distancing?

[UDeMan]

I think BC transit and the City of Victoria has already been informed of the planned opening of the economy by Horgan that will be released later this week. How else can you plan for June 1 unless you have knowledge of future opening up

[Cats4Hire]

I think BC transit and the City of Victoria has already been informed of the planned opening of the economy by Horgan that will be released later this week. How else can you plan for June 1 unless you have knowledge of future opening up

 

 

BC Transit will be installing a temporary vinyl panel on buses without a full driver door

Same as the commuter buses that don't have a back door (pic in the article). They probably decided they can't keep running buses with zero income so decided to switch to this.

[Mike K.]

Full release:

BC Transit enhancing safety measures to allow for front door loading and regular fare collection


On June 1, 2020, BC Transit will be enhancing safety measures for our provincial transit systems that will allow for a return to front door loading and collection of fares in all BC Transit communities. With the change, fares will be collected on conventional, community, and handyDART services.
BC Transit will be installing a temporary vinyl panel to allow for physical distancing for the operator and customers on all buses without a full driver door. This new safety measures aligns with the direction from the Provincial Health Officer.
With the change to front door loading and collecting fares, other safety measures already implemented will remain in effect including:

Enhanced cleaning on buses and at BC Transit facilities.
Communication to staff and customers about physical distancing procedures.
Limiting passenger capacity to support physical distancing.
Enhancing the red line for passengers to stand behind.
Vinyl panels on light duty buses.
Until June 1, rear door loading and not collecting fares will continue.
BC Transit continues to provide transportation services for those that need us including essential service workers and those going for their weekly grocery trip.
For more details about BC Transit fares and services, please visit BCTransit.com.

[Cats4Hire]

 

VICTORIA -- A 19-year-old man is in police custody after a BC Transit bus was stolen from Victoria General Hospital and later found crashed near Thetis Lake Regional Park.

Mounties say the bus was stolen at approximately 6:42 a.m. Wednesday, when the transit driver was on break at the hospital.

A short time later, the West Shore RCMP learned the bus had crashed into a rock wall on Herbate Road near the intersection with Barker Road in View Royal.

There were no passengers on the bus the time.

Following the crash, police say a man was seen running from the bus.

A resident called police just before 7 a.m. saying a man had broken into his home and then run away when he was approached.

Police attended the scene and found the suspect nearby.

Officers arrested a 19-year-old man who remains in custody.

The West Shore RCMP continue to investigate and the suspect is expected to appear in court Wednesday.

BC Transit tells CTV News there were no injuries reported. The transit service says it has launched its own internal investigation into the incident.

https://vancouverisl...ashed-1.4937756

[Victoria Watcher]

 

https://www.timescol...sted-1.24134433

 

 

Brian Richmond, who owns a home overlooking McKenzie Lake, woke up just before 7 a.m. and heard a loud bang. He went downstairs and saw a man standing in his foyer. A footprint remains on the yellow door where the intruder kicked through a wood panel to open the deadbolt.

Richmond said he remained calm and asked the man if he could help. “I didn’t have any sense that he was dangerous,” he said, adding that the man seemed scared.

The man didn’t say anything, then ran back up the driveway. He ran to another neighbour’s house and asked for a ride back into town.

West Shore RCMP, blocked by the transit bus, continued on foot toward the waterfront homes, Ireland said, and arrested the man without incident. A 19-year-old man is in police custody.

Ireland said he was impressed at how quickly officers arrived, given the remote location.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 May 2020 - 04:24 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The resulting document, Moving Forward, Not Backward, advocates retaining a number of COVID-19 response measures to deal with other ongoing crises, such as climate change, inequality, drug overdoses and the impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples.

 

Among the proposed actions:

• keeping the current fare-free public transit program in place on a trial basis for one year and deploying the B.C. Transit fleet with maximum service hours

 

https://www.timescol...nsit-1.24134880

[Nparker]

 

keeping the current fare-free public transit program in place on a trial basis for one year and deploying the B.C. Transit fleet with maximum service hours

How do the fools who suggest these things propose to finance "free" public transit?

[Mike K.]

If anything, public transit fares will become more expensive to make up for the zero fare services over two months.

[Victoria Watcher]

If anything, public transit fares will become more expensive to make up for the zero fare services over two months.

 

i think bct will probably get a top-up from the province.

[Mike K.]

Quite possibly, but thinking long term they’re going to be impacted in quite a number of ways moving forward.

[Cats4Hire]

I might be wrong here but didn't someone mention the most profitable trips for them are the tourist oriented ones (70, 72, 75, 81, 87, 88) during the summer? That makes sense as most times I'm on the bus probably 90%+ people are paying with a monthly pass or some kind of card they get at a discount while a tourist here for two weeks would probably just buy a day pass whenever they need the bus. If that's the case even once they start charging again they won't be getting tourist money this year so unless the government pays for the anticipated lost profit on those routes they're still going to lose money even if the province pays for April and May.