Timetable issues should be blamed for late buses, not drivers

The Daily Telegraph’s recent article about customer complaints on STA buses shows just how behind the times our current timetables and routes are.

Every driver knows there are many factors out of your control that can affect the reliable performance of bus services including traffic accidents, special events, wet weather conditions and road works – but usually, just traffic.

Add into that the closure of George Street, the issues with the Opal card continuing, and right there is a cocktail of reasons why buses could be late.

There have been a number of timetable and route changes caused by the closure of George Street, but without looking at where the routes start, and the time it now takes to get in and around the city, of course issues are going to build up.

There is just not enough time between stops on certain routes during peak times.

Drivers and passenger deserve more realistic timetabling. If that issue was worked through properly, there would be far fewer complaints.

The union advises all drivers to continue to report late running times and if you’re driving on a route which is consistently late, report it to your delegate.